Where Paper Goes to Die
April 6th, 2007 by Kateastrophe
I am waiting for the tree-huggers to come take me away for my execution at any moment.*
I am cleaning out my cubicle at work. I took the opportunity to swap days off — as in, my company has a holiday today, but I’m working in exchange for NEXT Friday off so that I could get some stuff done and CLEAN MY FREAKING DESK ALREADY without anyone bothering me.
So I’m cleaning my desk, like you do . . . and let me just tell you, it’s bad. I inherited a cube used by three previously fired employees who took their personal crap and ran for the hills. So I got ALL their old stuff. And I was told not to throw it away but to go through it all. I also brought with me two years worth of Executive Assistant notes I was told not to throw away either, so I venture to say that I have at least ten years worth of CRAP here. That I have to go through. So I can tell WHOEVER that I went through it before I threw it’s punk-arse in the TRASH.
So here I am. Hour three. GOING THROUGH IT ALL.
During this process, I discovered something disturbing.
I have a paper problem.
Specifically? I have a “using-part-of-a-notebook-then-losing-it-somewhere-in-the-mess-and-just-going-and-getting-another-one-no-good-very-bad-problem.”
Pardon the horrid quality of the pictures, but here you have a visual of just how horrible my problem really is:
This is the pile I plan to use up before I allow myself to get ANY MORE NOTEBOOKS.
This is the recycling pile . . . And I’ve already half filled the recycling bin (that is the size of a giant curbside trash can)
Hopefully, I can focus enough that by the end of the day I will have a beautiful (yeah right), clean workspace.
Anyone have any organization tips? I’m DROWNING IN PAPER here folks!
*Tree-huggers, I know you don’t actually execute people. And I know I shouldn’t call you that. I promise not to do it again.
- Posted in Givin' it to the "Man", Kateastrophes
April 6th, 2007 at 8:21 pm
Oh my goodness gracious, girl. That is a whole heck of a lot of partially used notebooks.
What a big ol’ pain. I say just throw it all away. All of it.
Let’s not pretend like any one of your bosses ever has any kind of clue about what’s going on…
April 6th, 2007 at 9:54 pm
I agree with Anne! I have no idea why they are telling you to keep so much crap if you rarely use is - not to mention they never use it. You are doing the right thing, you are in the right mind-set to just go through stuff fast and get rid of it. Sometimes I get caught up organizing because I can be in one of those moods like, “Ooooh, I wonder if I will need this someday”. Ugh, then I end up keeping a bunch of crap that I never use! I think you’re doing a super job, keep up the good work!
April 7th, 2007 at 2:01 pm
Oh, my gosh. That is a big notebook problem! I keep scraps of paper all over my nightstand, but you definitely have me beat.
I found your site from the link you left on BlogHer!
Zandria - Keep Up With Me
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April 9th, 2007 at 11:41 pm
Oh my goodness darling you need help!!
Sadly I’ve not nothing.