do this, too, although somehow I doubt I'll be as successful at getting rid of books as I have been with other stuff. At the very least, I can get rid of books where a) books that came into my possession that I didn't want, b) my feelings about the author have changed, and c) I can admit I'm never going to read it.

I got rid of anything I have electronically or that I had just bought because I needed something to read and not because I really liked it. That's six boxes of books.

I have so many books, and I don't know what to do with some of them. I have a bunch of classics and literary criticism from school. I don't want to dump books on the library or a thrift store that won't sell. Then I have books that are worth enough that I hate to just give them away. I haven't had much success in trading in books.

Sally Field is on PBS's Finding Your Roots. She's descended from William Bradford, and she had no idea who he was. Bless me, what do they teach them at these schools?

So many of the books are obscure historical and Celtic/Viking stuff. Hubby's books. Plus all the gamer books and his Warhammer novels. Maybe the gamer geeks on eBay will like them.

After packing up the TiVo, which was a total dustbomb, I'm now excavating some boxes under the bed. Why do I have check copies from 2001 in there? I don't need those. Into the shred pile.

I'm also uncovering paperwork from before I moved to Chicago, when I was unhappy and not always functional. Sometimes I couldn't remember to make car insurance payments. I guess I've come a long way. Also, having autopay helps with these things.

That's six boxes of books.

Okay, I'm convinced.

Edit: made a little progress on books, but all the decluttering this evening left me covered in dust, so I had to take a shower and change my clothes. I'll take some Benadryl when this hockey game is over.

I did a quick book edit today, filled a box with books and old dvds I don't want anymore or will never read. That's one of my criteria: can I look at a book and say, "I'm never going to read this"? If so, out it goes.

Made Sunday dinner for the family, did some laundry, took a box of stuff to Good Will. (Yesterday I took a box of electronics to the computer recycling place.) Took Dad home, and on the way I saw a horrible hit-and-run take place.

Glancing in my side mirror on the highway, I saw one car smash hard into the side of another car. The 2nd car went careening across the highway and smashed into the center guard rails; the first car sped past me and onto an off ramp.

I caught the license plate number, chanted it out loud for the next few minutes while I got off the highway (Dad pulled out his notepad and wrote it down, although he hadn't seen anything), and then called 911. By the time I got through the accident had been reported, but I was at least able to give them the plate #.

So awful. And if this was an accident, it's scary to think how easily it might have been me and Dad -- the dispatcher said the car was upside down, and they were traveling highway speeds.

Argh.

Now I am home watching the Roosevelts, and with an apple cake in the oven. Baking is good for settling one's nerves.

We are watching The Heat, which is surprisingly funny. The plot is completely moronic, but Melissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock are great.

Oh, yes, Kat. The Heat is faaabulous.

One of the things I love about it is that Sandra Bullock is my age, and they admit that. There's no attempt to convince the audience that she's under 40.

And it passes the Bechdel test with flying covers, yes!

How scary, Consuela, I'd be shaking.

The Heat, which is surprisingly funny. The plot is completely moronic, but Melissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock are great.

Agreed on all counts.

I am taking my kids to class with me tomorrow. I am hoping that it all goes well and that they aren't too bored, although right now I am more worried about my student presentations going well. My kids I know can be well behaved for 2 1/2 hours.

Oh yay, people are losing their jobs at work today. This has been coming a while - we got news about a departmental re-organization a couple of months ago, and I am not in any danger. But it's not a fun morning. And Thanksgiving week is a swell time to pick to tell people.