Blogging: An efficient use of my time

When I was a kid my dad would sit out in the hall at bedtime in between Seth's room and mine and read to us. He would read all kinds of things, usually big people books. I don't actually know how he selected books now that I'm a big people and it seems like every book manages to have something in it that I don't know if it would be entirely appropriate for kids. I do however remember the books and I will be forever grateful that Dad read more than kids books to us. I have loved the imagery that my mind has developed from having to make my own pictures. And believe it or not, I learned some things from those books too.

Cheaper By the Dozen is one in particular that I remember. Now, if you have not read the book, but have seen the movie with Steve Martin in it, I want you to promptly forget everything you think you know about the book, repent, and go read it. Seriously, the movie has about nothing to do with the book except that there are one dozen children in each. The book, however, is, or should be, a classic. In it the father is actually a specialist on efficiency, NOT a football coach (which is possibly the least efficient sport known to man. How many times is it possible to stop and start a game DURING the actual game?). I'm not going to tell you the plot or anything more about the book actually, because efficiency is actually what has been on my mind. For whatever reason Dad reading that book sparked a little bit of interest in me in doing things efficiently. Now, I know my parents may not know it based on my incredible procrastination skills, but when you think about it, if you only have a few minutes to do something you had better do it efficiently.

The point is that even if I haven't always utilized the concept, it is often in the back of my mind. I think there is something refreshing about finding a new way of doing something that works better than the old way. There are elements of creativity in just such thinking and I do enjoy it. I don't obsess over it, but I appreciate the concept.

Lately I've been thinking a lot about using space efficiently and how well I haven't done that in our apartment. The stuff to space ratio we have in our apartment is pretty stunning. Unfortunately when you have that much stuff to fit in a small space it does get stuffed. Stuffed into every nook and cranny it fits, regardless of logic. And so, although just about all the space in our apartment is being used, it is not very useful.

There is a principle in design called White Space. It is the principle that anything will look better if there is a place for your eyes to rest. Space that is unused. That is my problem. Everywhere I look there is used space and it is just to busy. It is ineffective design and it's agitating to the senses. Not only that, but it is frustrating to find things. It is aggravating to remember where something actually is and have to dig for it just the same because it fit underneath about 2 tons of books and blankets and guitars. The worst of it is, the anticipation of all the extra stuff we will have to fit in here when the baby comes. I don't know if the baby would actually fit in here right now! Perhaps that is why it has been on my mind.

However, now that it's on my mind, I can't get it off. It drives me even crazier than it did before (which is kind of a scary thought). And so my goal is to make my apartment efficient. Or at least use the space better. I've started a little bit and it is really amazing how much more space becomes available when you use whats there in sensible ways. It is refreshing to be freeing up "white space" and not just have piles of stuff everywhere I look. Granted, I have only just started and have a long way to go. But, the shelves in the bathroom look wonderful as does my spice cabinet. I think the space behind the couch may be next and you should all pray for my closet.