This blog contains somewhere between 1,200 and 1,300 posts. Even though the daily updates don't continue, given that each day seems to be quite a bit like each other day now that I'm off the road, there is still one aspect of the blog that should be clear. Hundreds of the posts involve me telling you - friends and strangers alike - about some stupid decision that I make. Some are embarrassing and some are amusing, but it should be easy for anyone to see that I do dumb things all the time.
Not this time though. This time I find myself worthy of the results of my IQ tests. And you're gonna hear about it...
I've moved recently into a nice condo in a nice area. It's close to work, close to my gym, and centrally located among various shopping and entertainment destinations. This has been a pleasant change from my previous dwelling arrangement, to say the least. What hasn't been pleasant is the process of getting everything moved. I'm settled in now, for the most part, but there are still occasional trips back to Taylor in order to work on what's left. I tend to bring one or two things back to the condo with me each time. I also tend to throw away or donate far more than I keep. I'm not sure that I would be exaggerating if I said that I've unloaded $10,000 worth of belongings in the last two weeks. All these years of earning a living and buying things that seemed useful for one reason or another, only to find that I wound up with a bunch of shit that I don't really want. Stupid.
This post isn't about the stupid though. This one is about the brilliant. I stopped at Meijer in Livonia after work one day last week. I needed to grab a case of beer and a few supplies (paper towels, toilet paper, etc.). While I was there, I decided to pick up a work shirt. I like to keep fourteen work shirts in my closet, just in case I don't get to my laundry for one reason or another. I could, in theory, work every day for two weeks straight without having to wash my work shirts. Pants are another story, of course, but I'm not averse to getting a couple of extra days out of some old jeans. One of the shirts that dated back to my time at CFI (pre Con-way) had become worn enough recently that I threw it away. So I only had thirteen work shirts on hand. One more would get me back to square.
After grabbing my new work shirt and tossing it in my cart, I was struck by a lightning bolt of inspiration. Right near the Dickies shirts that I like to wear, Meijer keeps the socks and underwear and such. There were three packages of black Wilson athletic socks hanging on the rack, each containing six pairs. I bought them all. Then, on my way home, I stopped at the Meijer in Northville. Three packages of black Wilson athletic socks were hanging on their rack as well. I bought them all. Then I proceeded to throw away every other pair of socks that I owned. Now I have 72 socks and every one of them is identical. I'll never again have to match socks after I pull my laundry out of the dryer.
Absolutely brilliant!
(And I don't even care if I'm tooting my own horn this time around. I'm right to be proud.)
We are 2 of a kind.. I did that like 2 months ago... lol.
ReplyDeleteMost brilliant thing I've ever done... someone else already did it.
ReplyDeleteWell shit.
everyone should move about every 5 years...unbelievable the stuff we buy and use once or just have to have and then it disapears into some corner and becomes a decoration. ...Me I like to read...Books everywhere..thousands of dollars just lying around gathering dust
ReplyDeleteI can't remember if it was an episode of Seinfeld or something else that did the trick, but there was some moment of inspiration years ago that struck me regarding books.
ReplyDeleteRead it once. If it was complex and you want to get the nuance a little better, then read it again. Then... give the damned thing away. No need for a bookshelf or anything else. Just get rid of them. You already know what they say.
It must have been a Seinfeld episode. I'm not having any luck finding a reference though. Maybe it's just my imagination.