Welcome to exhaustion. Yes, it is fair to say I am absolutely shattered. For some stupid reason, despite wanting to have a lie in more than anything else, we (Mr FWL and I) woke up at Stupid O’Clock this morning. Yes, the clocks went back an hour during our hours of sleep but seriously, why did I see 6:30am on a Sunday?? I can assure you it was not due to the ‘excitement’ of the planned decrapifying day ahead.
Earlier in the year, we began the considerable task of reorganising the office to try to streamline our processes and declutter the paper trail. Our work is very paper-heavy and so, unless we keep on top of the rainforest, it tends to grow at a speed not dissimilar to a Formula 1 racing car.
It is true to say that most weekends, we – Team FWL – don’t actually stop researching/working. In fact, we are at our most effective on Saturday/Sunday as there is no Bonavacantia list! Today though, I have personally stopped. Although the task list of jobs to be done is enormous, the office simply had to be cut back like a garden in winter and my crikey was it hit hard! Just one small section of sorting remains…. Nearly 21,500 steps have been done (the KG world record) and every room bar one is clear and ready for action in the week ahead. The troublesome piles are still evident – though significantly diminished – whilst many random oddments of genealogical information have been relocated as well as loads of odd rubbish being thrown out!
There is something very cathartic about getting rid of things you have stored for years. I did a degree in Chemical Physics but when did I last look at a degree textbook? My teaching materials have also been sitting up in the loft for over two years and, if they haven’t been used so far, they won’t be now! So, they will go onto Amazon or Freecycle for others to use and enjoy. Mr FWL would call me a hoarder but, having watched the television series recently, I am certainly not that bad! However, I now have empty boxes and drawers ready for when they are required.
There is a paper mountain still to be surmounted but I am well over halfway. Exhausted? Yes. However, very pleased with the end result! [Thanks to Ma & Pa FWL for their help and also for actually taking some of the crap away!]
