Monday 9 September 2013

The Upside of Losing Your Phone

So, I lost my cell/mobile phone last Tuesday - for two whole days. I knew the last time I had used it (looking for photos of the ten year old for school), where I was (in the kitchen) and the time of its last appearance (7.30pm). You'd think that would make it easy to trace wouldn't you? The only thing I knew for sure was that it had to be in the house because it was lost by the following morning and I hadn't been out.

Anyway, I tore the house apart. For four hours on the first day I looked in every nook and cranny, with no success. The Ball & Chain came home that night and went through every place I'd already looked. (I can never decide whether to take the "two heads are better than one" attitude, or just be irritated at the implication that I hadn't looked properly.) Day two saw me going through the laundry baskets, looking in fridge drawers and emptying out the recycling bins. Nothing. Nowt. Nada.

To cut a long story short I decided that it must have been carried by me from the kitchen to somewhere upstairs. I thought about the piles of stuff I'd removed and dumped outside various bedrooms and began another unsuccessful search. Then I remembered shopping at Pier One for a few bits and pieces, and storing the bag in a certain cupboard. Bingo! God knows how or why the phone was in there but it was. Happy dance.

I now have one very organized house too. In looking for the phone, I went through every drawer in the kitchen and living room, throwing out 12 instruction manuals for things we no longer even have, a file full of last year's school stuff, a box full of old Xmas and birthday cards that I was going to get crafty with (three years ago), and about forty five dried up marker pens. I also found five (yes, five) folding umbrellas, a bracelet that needs to be mended, a list of potential posts for my BBC America stint (yippee) and the present I bought for an October birthday (hidden in a "special" place, ie. one that I had completely forgotten about).

I am now motivated to get even more organized. Oh yes. So far, the instruction manuals that are actually relevant are now in a handy accordion style folder thingy, in alphabetical order. (See below, and be impressed.) All the school paperwork is hole-punched and in a smart binder with a section for each kid. My scissors are all rounded up and in one place (wonder how long that will last?) and my collection of pens and pencils are no longer rolling around my desk.

By the way, my walls aren't really lime green!

I may even tackle the Man-Child's desk.



On second thoughts.......

13 comments:

  1. Ooh, I wouldn't, he'll accuse you of invading his privacy! Mine would, I know that!

    I used to know where stuff like sellotape was but as it gets used and not put back, I have no idea where any of that stuff ends up and usually come across it by surprise somewhere unlikely... like outside or in the garage!

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  2. Glad you found your phone! I saw this the other day and thought of you! http://imgur.com/h3qNW9n

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  3. Oh wow Detroit - that would have saved a lot of problems!

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  4. What is it about manuals for things you don't have any more. I think they are breeding along with the odd socks and the dried up pens (that you are also suffering from!). Glad you found your phone though, but I bet you find life quieter without it.
    Leave the manchild's desk, even if you tidy it up and tell him where everything is he will still accuse you of losing or chucking stuff - or is that just my man!

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  5. He claims he knows where everything is. Mmmm Hmmm?

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  6. Resembles the grand kid's desks. I stand clear.

    When I've lost my phone, I wander with a borrowed phone, calling, calling until I locate the sound of the poor waif's ring tone.

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  7. Oh dear - his desk looks a lot tidier than mine. OMG LOST FOR TWO DAYS ... I wouldn't have coped.

    Lx

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  8. I love being organized - but I live with other people, so whatever system I set up is usually short-lived. Glad you found the phone!

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  9. I hide presents too, but usually find them after I need them. X

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  10. I am looking at the foldy accordian thing and I am incredibly impressed. I took a trip to target to "get organised by buying stuff" but sadly i did not buy the right folders, couldn't be bothered taking them back and now they're clogging the place...sigh...

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  11. We have been doing something similar recently. A big sort-out of the study (yes we found old instruction manuals) followed by a mini sort-out of Rory's room where he was more than happy to have us help him chuck things out. I had to explain to him how you use a duster and spray: it was scary to watch his incompetence with a cloth.
    I also save old cards to get crafty with and never do!

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  12. That's a typical woman isn't it? We have to sort things as we go which is why everything takes an age because we're constantly distracted. Sounds like you've done some exemplary work. Let's not overdo it now... ;)

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  13. I rarely lose things, but I managed to lose my house keys and a credit card in a single day last week. I found the keys to my relief, but the card had to be cancelled and a replacement ordered.

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