Back to Work

My calendar is filled with strategic planning meetings, staff projects, faculty consultations, brainstorming sessions for fall activities, interviews for both students and a staff position, so many things to take care of. I am struggling to focus because my apartment is not yet settled from the move. In fact, I haven't finished cleaning out the old place.

I have until the end of the month, but I know I better not procrastinate. Even though I am tired at the end of the day, I have to take Drew to soccer and make myself go over there and clean. I walked in, dismayed to find so much clutter left over from the move. Bits and pieces of odds and ends everywhere. Sort of like my desk at the end of the semester last spring. Nothing neat and tidy.

I know the only way to get it done is to start, so I walk to the farthest room, enter the closet, and begin, addressing each small item as I work my way through the place. I scoot everything closer and closer to the door, cleaning and sorting and packing and pitching. I scratch gum from the linoleum, scrub dye spots from the walls, discover that no one thought to remove the stuff from under either sink. Good grief.

Two and a half hours later, I am in better shape, but not done. Tomorrow I will have to come back and do a bit more. Then maybe one more session before I am ready to turn in keys. Its sad, this empty place. I wonder who will suffer through its decrepitness next? Four of eight occupants are gone from this building. Will they have everyone leave and tear it down? That's what they should do. That would take care of the tilting floors, the falling down balconies, the ramshackle steps, the moldy, dank basement.

Well, enough for tonight. I head wearily towards the gym just as Drew texts me that he is ready. He is impatient. Before I can get there, he calls me. "Where are you?" "Coming." Maybe tomorrow he will go with me, if for no other reason than to remove the expensive energy efficient light bulbs that I can't reach.