Getting It Together

We had another productive weekend of cleaning and eBay-ing. I am proud to tell you that, after 5+ years of eBay-ing, I finally set up a dedicated eBay station for myself. And boy, does it pay off in time saved and hassles avoided! In Alex's computer room, I've got an extra desk, which has a drawer filled with pens, packing tape, scissors, notepad, and post-its. (I've discovered that post-its make marvelous instant labels where I can track if the item has been photographed, how much it weighs once packed, and its shipping estimate.) On top of the desk, I've got a curved piece of matte white posterboard clipped in place to act as the background for the pictures (it looks quite professional in the photos). On the other side of the desk, I've got the scale and the camera on its charging station. Just to the right of the desk is a computer, under the desk is an assortment of shipping boxes, and in the closet is the static-free bubble wrap (for computer parts).

So, now I pick up one of the items in the stack marked "TO SELL," put it on the posterboard, take a photo, hand the memory card off to Alex (who's at his desk editing the photos, writing the html, and posting items on eBay), and mark the item's post-it as "pictured." Then I hunt down a suitably-sized box, wrap the item in bubble wrap, place the package on the scale, and scoot over to the computer for USPS.com. I add the weight and estimated shipping cost to the post-it, tell Alex how much shipping is, and add it to the "ready to ship" stack. Lather, rinse, repeat.

If only I'd hit on this idea sooner, we might already have fewer items to sell (and therefore fewer items cluttering up the house). Ah, well.

I feel additionally triumphant because I sorted every last one of Alex's cables, wires, and cords, untangled them, neatly tied them up with twisty-ties, and placed them in drawers according to their type (power cords, extension cords, cat-5, telephone, printer cables, USB, coax, "teeny wires," and the ever-present "I have no idea what this is" category). Aaaand I got the kitchen cleaned--not the attached breakfast nook, but I'm pretending it's a different room so that I can feel accomplished.

Now, if only I didn't still have a massive pile of STUFF in my office waiting to be taken to Goodwill... Ah, well. As Bobo the Bear says, baby steps.