We Have A Hostage Situation

I have a hostage in my house. I am actually holding a hostage. The hostage is a new queen-size bed from Ikea. The ransom I am demanding is the removal of all of daughter #2's "stuff" from her old bedroom (my new office). If she wants the new Ikea bed, and I know she does, she first has to move out of my house. That shouldn't bother her, as she has her own home across town. Across town she also has the bed that goes with the remaining furniture in her old room (my new office). I am sure a simple swap can be arranged as soon as she removes her "stuff".

I am being a slight bit hypocritical here. It's not as if the room will be vacant once she removes her things. I stood at the door today trying to imagine it as a guest room/office and even I don't have that much imagination. The room is what is commonly referred to in some circles as a JUNK ROOM. It has become the room where anything without a home goes. It has become a JUNK ROOM. As I stood at the door I knew I needed to begin purging, but I just couldn't figure out where to start. The floor space that was once occupied by the bed is covered with "stuff". I went to the door and just stared in despair several times before I actually got the nerve to go in and do something.

This is going to be a project I will have to tackle in segments, much like the kitchen cabinets. I gave myself the task of removing/putting away/tossing 10 items today. Ten items was manageable, the whole room would require a Pod (you know, those storage units they deliver to your driveway) and a forklift.

The ten things I removed/put away/tossed:

• a 16-quart stainless steel beverage tub - put away in its original box in the closet where it belongs.
• the box containing the most recent wine club shipment - bottles of wine put in wine rack where they will sit unmolested until Easter when I can drink again, box saved for daughter #2 to pack her "stuff" in
• a duffel bag containing workout clothes - moved to my bedroom closet so I will see it and remember to workout (won't someone please take me seriously?)
• two suitcases (please note I am only counting this as one entry) - I nested them, one inside the other, and moved them to daughter #1's room until I can find a more suitable storage place (I have a very bad habit of moving things back and forth between my daughter's rooms. I'll try to work on this.)
• a wooden stand with 4 very heavy wooden folding t.v. trays -stored in the hall closet. The hall closet is the second scariest storage place in my house, the first being the garage and the third was the Tupperware cabinet from blog dated 2/14/09.
• a 6 x 9 foot wool rug purchased by daughter #1 in New York and hauled back to Texas in a very large suitcase after she decided it didn't match her apartment (this was, of course, before luggage poundage limitations went into effect). - I have relocated this to daughter #1's room (I told you I had issues with this) until I can get moth balls and an adequate storage container. Then perhaps I will move it to the storage building we own in a town about 30-miles away. Oops, I just realized that I haven't yet fessed up to having an outside storage place. The first step is admitting the problem - I've done that. Give me a break.
• A box-fan - moved to hall closet, where it is now perched precariously on top of the t.v. trays.
• 2 Mr. Clean car wash kits - husband moved to the garage for me (I'm too scared to go in there)
• 2 tote bags containing miscellaneous writing "stuff", notebooks, journals, books - went through both bags and put "stuff" up where it belongs - desks, bookshelves, etc.

Okay, it's a start. Any day now I will have room to put a bed in the former JUNK ROOM, soon to be combination guest room/office. I wonder how much longer I will have to hold the new Ikea bed hostage? I am eagerly anticipating the hostage transfer!