Gettin' Organised

Chris and I spent some money at Staples today. (Which is funny, considering how vitriolic I used to be against big-box office supply stores, as I used to work at a locally-owned stationary store.) We bought two whiteboards: a big one for him to write out his ideas (for the lack of a chalkboard, thanks to my allergies), and a little one for the fridge, to write messages. We bought an organiser thingy for mail and bills, so that our kitchen table doesn't have to serve that function. I bought a dayplanner and a bunch more file boxes (as my MA box is now full).
We're getting organised. And it feels good.

It started last night, when I got sick of losing papers. I got out my file folders and started sorting my class readings, and sorting old readings into save and recycle/scrap piles. The old readings got temporarily filed into the MA box, until I could start one for my PhD. (I'm thinking this will be a coursework box, and possibly also for comps. I'm going to need an entire box just for filing my diss. stuff.)

This process makes me feel human again. I'm starting to consider where I should be keeping my textbooks, and figuring out a better workspace, rather than the living room futon. I know it's a response against my break-down earlier this week; I recognised that I'd gotten out of control, and that everything needed changing.

I've even started planning out my weekly readings, so that I can get things done and not panic about them (because I physically can't read in a rushed fashion anymore), while scheduling time for research. Tonight I'm doing about a third of Tuesday's readings, and doing the other two-thirds tomorrow. I think, if the weather's nice, I'll also convince Chris that we should go for a scenic walk tomorrow. Then, on Sunday I'm writing my paper proposal for the Berlin conference and starting into Friday's Europe readings (yes, I need to start that early, I have discovered). Monday is devoted to research, and to finishing whatever's left of the paper proposal. (I'm going to work at school, and take my laptop.) Either on Monday or Tuesday I photocopy the readings for Friday's Canada class, but I don't do those readings until Wednesday. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday I gradually do my Europe readings, taking careful notes. The rule is that everything has to be done by Thursday evening, so that I can have a relaxed evening and go to bed, energised for my terribly busy Fridays.

Do you think that will work? This way, Mondays and parts of Thursdays can be research days. The only exceptions will be when I have to lead seminars -- then I'll need to devote two hours to that on Mondays.

Well, thanks for reading my incredibly boring, but incredibly therapeutic, organisation process. As a reward, here's a list of silly things that make me inordinately happy:

• The bazillions of hoppy bunnies at the University. Whenever I see them, I exclaim, "Bunnies! Bunnies! Bunnies!"
• How everyone calls out "Thank you!" to the bus driver, when they get off, even when there are twenty of us getting off at the same stop.
• Umbrellas.
• The little row of lanterns that line the walk to our door, and the painted flowers on our gate.
• Those rare days when it's not only sunny, but really really clear, so that I can see mountains in Washington. (This is less rare during the summer.)
• Persnickety organisation.
• Twinkley lights.
• "The Lonely Goatherd" from The Sound of Music.