Is there a lesson here?

Day 2 of cleaning out my new office.

I have created 8 boxes of confidential shredding, and 6 tubs of recycling, a box of office supplies, unearthed about 200 old diskettes, thousands of paper clips, many many page protectors and dividers, and there are dust bunnies and paper bits every where.

Holy shit. It is weird going through someone else's papers. What the hell, how do you walk away from your job and leave so many boxes of your crap? Who do you think is going to look at it? Each time I have left my jobs in the last few years (between my mat leave, and then truly leaving, and then my recent switch) I left my office spic and span and ready for the next person. I cleared out my crap. Apparently no one has wanted to through anything out.

I found a goal statement paper from 1983. Yup. 1983. I found pictures from the 90s. Was our hair really that big and our clothes that bad?

And the emails. From the dawn of time. And ineligible writing, and half filled writing tablets stuck in boxes here and there. And I have boxes of empty binders. It is mind blowing. I know I am totally going off on a rant here, but it is amazing. There are still 13 boxes in my office, and a completely full book shelf, and a hanging file cabinet and that is just less than half of what there originally was. Some stuff will be archived, other stuff is being picked through. I can't give stuff away. People keep popping their heads in my office, and what started as me trying to look at stuff before it got turfed has turned in to me looking at the date and then either stuffing in to a box for archiving or dumping in to shredding.

The up side is that it helps for ownership, I am hoping that I am not stepping on anyone's toes... apparently there hasn't been the staff, time, or impetus to do a clean out like I am doing. Hell, the last occupant left 10 years worth of desk calendars kicking around. WTF? I am involving some of the people that would have had a vested interest in some of the paper, and we have had some good laughs, some interesting tidbits have surfaced, especially from staff members that haven't been around for more than 10 years.. and a report on which my name was on it from when I was a student.. that was trippy.

So that was my day. Oh yeah - they do white spot fridays - any one who is around from our area and wants lunch, well, everyone grabs some tables and hangs out. It is cool - we have a drama book to write in, and there is some great energy. It is different than what I am used too - this has been a good switch, in a different way than my last job was a good switch from the original one.

Next week will be my first full, 5 day week in forever. The later starts are nice, and I will be happy to have things cleaned up so the days aren't so... well, unstructured. I want to get my teeth in to stuff. I have a presentation to plan for at our AGM in 2 weeks!!!!

It took the dude forever to fall asleep tonight. Ken's at hockey, and I am a little fatigued. I am going to try to dive back in to Love in the time... but it isn't a fast read by any means. It is taking me time - I find the writing convoluted, and for me, the style doesn't flow that easily. It is interesting, the tale that is unwinding, but I am only a 1/3 of the way through.

I am being tempted by a dry apple cider. A blanket, a cider, my book, and the couch. Sounds not so bad. Either that or I have the latest CSI:Miami that I could watch. Thank god for media centre and being able to just program what I want "taped". It makes life so much easier. I do not miss the old VHS. Man, do I keep rambling or what?