More windows, more decluttering

Today I spent an hour on the windows bringing my total to 213 hours. I was still working on setting up the miter saw. I first built a sturdy table top out of plywood and 2x4's. I had it just sitting on the plywood, but it seemed to rickety to operate a saw that can cut my finger off in a second. I am a safety nut and try not to take any chances. I also had to go to the hardware store to buy special bolts to attach the saw to the table top. The saw will be set up after my next work session and I'll post pictures then.

It was funny that I had not only all the tools I needed to build a table top for the saw (it sits on two sawhorses) but also all the materials - plywood, 2x4's and screws. Such is the garage of a remodeler. I would happily get rid of all my leftover lumber, but it comes in handy very often. It felt really good to know exactly what I needed to build and be able to build it quickly and easily. Sometimes I am still amazed at the skills I've learned in working on the house.

I finished going through a basket yesterday that was my current unpacking and decluttering project. Today I went on the next box and was pleased to find my purses and belts. I don't dress up often, but obviously when I do I need a purse. All of my dress purses were packed away for the last 2 3/4 years and each time I had to dress up I had to fudge it or borrow one. I am so glad to find them. I also found some belts, and got rid of most of them. What is so funny about this process is that at the time we packed our apartment up, I was wearing belts to work at my most recent job. Now, I haven't worn a belt in almost years because my work has changed and along with it my wardrobe. Stuff can really accumulate if you don't stay on top of it. I also offered a big bag of hangers on Freecycle (www.freecycle.org, a place where people give away stuff they don't need so it doesn't end up in a landfill). In our apartment, we hung most of our clothing because we had hanging space but little drawer space. In our house, I've customized the closets so we have both types of space so I need a lot fewer hangers. It made sense to bring them at that time, but we no longer need them so out they go!