Having Space :)

[Ensign Paris]

Hey,

This week I am using to clear out all of my stuff that I don't need, I have taken 3 days of work in order to to so (tomorrow being the final day) and so far have collected 4 black sacks (I am not sure if you have black bin liners in the states but I guess you do) of pure rubbish that I just don't need (old school work, manuals, Records, Tapes, cables [localtalk :)] old mobiles, videos, old parts of computers) and so far I have created so much space in my two rooms (I use what was a computer room as a bedroom so my larger bedroom can be used as a my lounge ;)) I don't know what to do with all the room.

It has been a strange experience, I have been *simplifying* my life to make it easier to have time for other people, so I thought a good way of going this would be to make the following changes to my life:

1) Only watch TV when there is actually something I want to watch, rather that just sitting there watching any old rubbish

2) Making my bedroom minmalist (how is that spelt :)), now there is just a bed, nothing more, nothing less, aside from my collection of singing potatos.

3) My lounge, will eventually have a glass desk with just my Powerbook and sound sticks on (iSub under the glass, looking cool :)) With my floor standing (Eltax) speakers on either side, I am not sure where the Amp/EQ will go at this point, with my keyboard (musical) next to me on the left (I will send pictures when it is done)

4) Cutting out dumb things I do, for instance I am no longer going to watch Jackass (yeah I know its cool but its taking up 12gb of space and I prefer proper comedy :)

5) I have for the first time started to drink Tea on a regular basic, so its black tea, one sugar for me, remember that.

6) New hair style, I hated my hair combed forward, and that is what I was doing, cause last time I changed it to be spikey I got board and changed it back, but now spikes are here to stay :)

7) NEVER AGAIN if possible am I going to eat between meals, I think its real bad for me.

8) Cut out eating sweets while using my computer, cause I once got a piece of cake stuck behind the speak grill of my speakers on my PB.

9) Really trying to cut out casual swearing and drinking (alcahol) too often.

9) I think that is about it, other that I am considering a new design for my website, cause the current one is abit clunky.

•• Just one more ••

10) I have started to make sure I carry my mobile phone where ever I go, mostly cause I saw a guy (he was drunk) get run over by a bus the other day and having my phone on me probably helped save his life and of his pet dog, so it should help.

----

Well I have rambled on for long enough now, better get back to tidying this room up, sooo much mess, sooo little time :)

If anyone is interested I have posted a QTVR file on just outside my house at http://www.brooklineuk.com/qtvr_files/Our_Valley.qtvr, it is made with a not so good l-espion camera which is the size of a match box. Let me know what you think. If you like it I will redo it with my brand spankin' new V2 from Canon and a tripod because this should greatly inprove acurace and quality.

I really should add learn good spelling and grammer to my list of things to do

Ensign

[Durandal7]

Sounds good, cutting useless things out of your life. Just make sure that the cell phone doesn't end up dominating your time like it does for some.

[Ensign Paris]

My mobile doesn't dominate, I spent alot of money (well I spent all the money I had available at the time) to make sure that I used it (if I spend alot of money on something I make sure I get my use out of it until it gets stolen or lost) but my mobile is becoming more used because of certain *people* talking to me very late at night, its fun, text flirtin :)

Ensign

[Durandal7]

As long as you don't end up walking into people because you never put your cell phone down ;)

[Ensign Paris]

well I actually make very few calls on it :) Always texting, more fun :) I find Wap quite useful for train times and news but I look forward to its replacement (3G?)

Ensign

[Nipsy]

Well, living simpy helps one live well. You'll find that even the filthy rich don't clutter their surrounding with unused items.

I have a few suggestions that may help you in your quest:

Remember charities. If you have videos and records and books and stuffed animals and furniture and computers and stuff that you've decided you won't be using again, think about whether someone else could use them before adding them to the rubbish pile.

Set a time frame. If you have something, and you can't decide if it is useful, write the date on a sticky note, and check the date next time you use it. My time frame is six months. I hadn't used a VCR in 8 months (ReplayTV + DVD), so I donated it & all my unused videos to a charity. Same thing was true of my tape player. Of course, some things have value, yet are only used infrequently, but should still be kept.

Buy the best thing you can afford, and keep it for life (or its life). Apple computers, Swiss watches, well made furniture, real art...these are things that cost more, but offer more enjoyment, and longer service lives. When decorating your lounge, think about whether you'll like the furniture in 10 or 20 years. If you can, buy things that you can keep because they are timeless, not trendy. This is the single best way I can think of to reduce clutter, well still being surrounded by things you enjoy. One nice peice of art can stay with you for life, but posters of whatevers trendy today will be landfill next year.

Don't be too rigid with yourself. Recognizing your goals is amazing, more so that you're doing somthing in life that most do in their late 20's. Don't let yourself become a slave to your stated ideals. If you really want a cookie, eat one...it won't kill you

[MacMaster]

Dude, are you serious!? You saved two lives!!! That's awsome!:D :cool:

[Ensign Paris]

Technically, all I did was administer basic first aid and phone an ambulance, as for the man, he was a total git, My friend and I had been watching him for a while because he was being tight to the dog, so we walked after him as he walked of them he got hit by the bus when he got angry with something, the dog was ok, a bit shaken but he was so drunk he was not aware of what was going on.

Ensign

[Ensign Paris]

Thanks for the advice Nipsy, You are obviously a logical and intelligent thinker (is that a word?) put basicly everything has gone either to a charity shop up the road or on a bonfire, so far two bonfires with one more probably tomorrow night (it takes about a day to create 2 or 3 sacks on old stuff / rubbish. I am only keeping things that:
a) I use often
b) Are worth money
c) have some sort of centimental value

I don't have much Hi-Fi stuff space because I normally trade in, although I do have 4 Amps at the moment when I normally only use two of them (I power the rear-speakers seperately from the fronts from the 3D effects processor) The front speakers and 200wpc and the rears are about 140wpc. If I remember correctly.

Anyway, buying stuff that will last is a good idea, for instance my Cambridge Audio A1 AMP (About 30wpc I think) is very well build, I know that it will last for years to come, its nice and simple so there is not much to do wrong with it. One thing I aim to buy within a few years in a leather recliner, I am not one for style, for most people in the UK at my age (or atleast my friends) rebel against fashions and see them for what they are, this is why people wear clothes that suit them and that look good on them, not clothes just because they happen to say Nike on the side. This is not to say I will not wear named clothes, basicly I buy the highest quality that my budget allows, normally I grow out of the clothes before they get worn out.

Macs are good for quality, they also look good any where, design and things looking good / in there place are very important to me. That is why the Powerbook is nice because it fits into its surroudings. Its also the reason why I plan to buy a Glass desk, it should be OK until, a) I have kids b) I drop something on it and it cracks. Talking about breaking glass, I damaged my window today pulling of radio stickers I put there when I was 10 ish with a heat gun, without thinking of the glass expanding and then window shattered, so for the moment its ok (held togethor by plastic sheets) Thank god it wasn't windy :)

As for art, I plan to have quite a few small, black and white photos in simple frames, i) because a certain hero of mine does that ii) I have actually grown to love black and while photography. Next I have to think about colours etc...

My page on design that I am fond of is at:
http://www.brooklineuk.com/gw/design.html

Ensign

[MacMaster]

Ensign, you have alot of dead links on you site...are you updating or is it just like that?:confused:

[Ensign Paris]

let me know the links and I will look into it, I gave up on the site a few weeks back, I will get back to it soon, when I get some serious time spare. The new revision of the site will most probably use CSS, if I work out how to use them in Golive.

The Life section is very flakey, it was make in a huge rush, just before I went away on holiday.

Ensign

[ShaolinMiddleFinger]

Wow....reminds me of when I cleaned out my room last month. 5 full garbage bags worth of useless junk I haven't thought about in years.

[topicolo]

Don't forget that eating snacks between meals is actually good for you. If you eat less food during your main meals and eat healthy snacks in the morning and in the afternoon, you can actually lose weight. It's best to eat your carbohydrate rich foods in the morning and move down to protein rich foods at night. Trust me, it works. You'll get a six-pack doing it if you also do cardio exercise 3 times a week.