The Organizing Fool

I really like organizing and labeling things. Maybe it's the nurse in me or maybe it's that little O.C.D. tendency imprinted in my brain but I do get a certain joy out of "organizational activity".

I remember fondly when I first discovered 'The Container Store' back in the day. I had found my 'mecca'. If you couldn't find your container here, it was unlikely you would find it anywhere. Just visiting the store inspired me to organize myself silly. And, organize, I did. Boxes, files and various containers were labeled...

• Papers
• Shoes
• Momentos
• Letters
• Work-related Items
• Tools
• Tape
• Dog-Stuff
• Kid-Stuff
• Travel-Stuff
• Photos
• Organizational Tools
• Craft-Stuff

...and then while my girlfriends were receiving gifts of jewelery and such from their significant others one Christmas, I received my first 'Brother P-Touch Label Maker' from mine. My labeling activity reached its crescendo...

You name it - it was labeled.

The problem lied in the fact that my system proved to be a little 'flawed'. 

• Momentos -  may have included letters, work-related items, photos and/or kid stuff. 
• Papers - letters, dog stuff, travel stuff, craft stuff. 
• Kid-Stuff - photos, craft stuff, momentos, letters, travel-stuff 
• Travel-Stuff - could possibly contain photos, kid-stuff  and/or letters.

So I had to 'tweak' my organizational method and become more specific in what was being contained but then the complexity of my system got the best of me.

I'm thinking I may have had a little too much time on my hands..

Despite my efforts at creating an organizational paradise around here, a familiar refrain goes like this... "Joanie, where did you 'organize' my ...xyz now?" It comes from "Mr. Something". The question is delivered dripping with sarcasm but I choose to ignore it. The 'search' begins. Believe me, looking for his stuff that I happened to 'organize' somewhere does not exactly promote domestic bliss.

Should he ask for , oh, let's say... "Duke's Immunization Record?"  It could be found in "Dog-Stuff" or "Letters" or "Papers".

Reportedly, that drives him nuts.

So in an effort to maintain household harmony, I do not 'borrow' from the unlabeled 'stash box' (that he doesn't think I know about). Just a non-descript blue box that sits on his desk. Currently, it has scissors, a stapler, tape, glue, a pencil sharpener, reading glasses and some papers in it. 

Good for him.