Pile/Re-Pile

I did exactly nothing on the revised Copper Man site today, opting instead to really dig in to the long overdue basement clean-up. Last Thursday, Karl was kind enough to lend some help and electrical confidence. I'd say 'electrical expertise,' which he does have, but the wiring was of the type that I can do myself easily - but I just feel better when someone else is there who can look at what I just suggested and say 'sure, that's fine' or 'yeah, that's gonna be a fire.'

Still, Karl actually ended up doing most of the wiring, with me doing the unwiring. That is to say, anytime we found a line that we could take out, we'd cut the circuit and break the line at a reasonable source point, then he'd close that off or add a new outlet or switch while I tore out all of the old stuff. The point being getting rid of old, bad and/or complicated wiring, and also being able to get rid of the remaining framing that was down there from the old rooms, since the outlets and switches were attached to various studs. In some cases, the shielded wire ran right through the studs, so tightly that it was difficult enough to extract that we just tossed the studs with a little wire left attached.

But that was Thursday. This week, I'm trying to finally get a handle on the massive unsorted pile of junk down there that comprises my archives. In a way, it's great, because the contents of the basement really represents the last gasp of the wild, untamed Dave spore. And In a way, it's sheer hell, since organization is last on my list of skills, right after teleportation and hedge fund management. Still, it's nice to see that it's gotten down to a relatively small, hence theoretically manageable, amount. This is actually the end of a project that (no shit) goes back to about 1997, when I first started looking into my boxes of crap from the attic. Those boxes went with me to Pearl River and then came back here, largely unsorted and pretty much just shifted around. Still, very slowly but very surely, it's evaporating and sifting into something resembling order.

I only wish there was more to throw away or give away,* as the stuff that does get kept sometimes can be hard to really justify.

The whole point of clearing the basement - beyond just getting closer to Godliness - is in advance of the basement rebuild. At least for the time being, while my own job situation is extremely sketchy and the future is spooky/scary (like a Werewolf Bar Mitzvah), it makes great sense to have renters. We've rented a room since November, but that's the upstairs room next to ours and it's a little tight. Rebuilding the basement means that the renters and Yesenia and I can live like adults, which is something you want in your eighth year of marriage. But you also want financial stability and insecurity, and my crappy job isn't providing that just now. So while I work on Plan 'B,' Plan C is going into effect: rent!

Actually, I guess I need to start coming up with an organzational principal for my plans. What with the returning to school, the searching for a new job, the scramble for freelance work, making the website and rebuilding the basement, I'm kind of running through the alphabet. Plan Z will no doubt involve putting myself into prostitution or just remaking the basement into a meth lab.

Anyhow, today's mission was somewhat successful, although as you can tell from this Rambler's title, it mostly consisted of taking one giant pile and making several smaller and not terribly well-thought-out piles from it. Work proceeds apace.

D.

*Which reminds me: Ans, I've found an old lyric notebook of yours. I'll hold on to it until the next time I see you.