Thursday, July 1, 2010

What *is* THAT in my desk drawer?!

So, I'm moving. Offices, that is. For some time, the library that I work at has been changing. The arts/humanities and social sciences portion of the collection (which is my area of expertise) has shifted over to another library on campus, as have a number of librarians who formerly had their offices here with me. I remained for a time because I coordinate reference services in my current building. Finally, our supervisor asked my colleague Bridget and I to move over to the other building. We have very nice (bigger!) offices awaiting us, complete with windows! This is a gigantic upgrade for us :) Even the furniture is nicer. Instead of piling the articles I'm working with into small stacks that I place on the piddly space on my desktop, on the floor, and on my small side table where I also keep tea supplies, I'll now have a beautiful U-shaped desk with gorgeous free space all around. I also have a real bookcase (score!) and ACTUAL CHAIRS! Oh, it's so, so sweet.

All is well. Except for the part whereby I have to pack up my old office. *shudders* I've only been here full-time for, let's see...6 years. *feels old* In that time, I've accumulated a LOT of paper. I knew that would be a chore. Travel vouchers and paperwork from 4 years ago? Yep, have lots of that. Old resumes and cover letters. Why, God, why? Lesson plans dating back to the previous decade. *sighs*

So, I've been sorting and weeding, sorting and weeding. The biggest surprises came, however, when I opened drawers that haven't had their contents examined in quite some time. And here is where your Catholic Librarian is a bit eccentric. You'll see why in a moment. And TMI warning, just so you know :)

What was in the Catholic Librarian's desk drawers?

*drum roll*

First, I wanted to tackle some paper, so I headed to the file cabinet. I've barely opened this thing since I first started working here and I obnoxiously placed all kinds of labeled folders in there with useless pieces of paper in them. Found folders. Promptly recycled them. Oh, what's that, another drawer? What's in *there*? I don't think I've ever used this drawer...

Found office item #1 - Old shoes.

*eyes water* I needed the Febreze out after that little discovery. At some point, I put all these shoes in there thinking I could change into them as needed. Especially during the winter around here, I wear my boots in , so I do leave dress shoes here, but whoa baby. These were OLD. And CHEAP. And, well, they SMELLED. BAD. I immediately took them out to the garbage can and fumigated my office. Dodged a bullet there.

Then I moved over to my desk drawers. I do use these fairly frequently, except for that mysterious bottom drawer...

Found office item #2 - Old pregnancy test.

I do remember buying this to keep here, you know, *just in case*. You never know when the mood will strike you to do a little investigative work. It's expired, but I tossed it into the moving box anyway. I'm sure it still works, right? What could possibly 'expire' on there? I'll need it eventually :) But then I looked lower in the drawer...

Found office item #3 - *USED* pregnancy test.

Ok, I know what you're thinking. Oh, Tiffany, EW EW EW! Yes, it's true. I found out that precious Hank had been conceived while I was at work, and I didn't have the heart to throw the positive test away after that. And, ok, I'll fess up. What the heck, now that I've revealed all this other stuff, right? I didn't use just one pregnancy test. Type A, rampant paranoia, sound familiar anybody? Yes, I stocked up on like 6 different pregnancy tests, and all of them lingered, used, in the bottom of my desk drawer. PSYCHOTIC.

I made a compromise. I kept 2, and threw the rest away. 2 should be enough to remember the occasion by. Right?

So, now I'm just about done, and I feel good, except all dusty. I got rid of a bunch of junk and recycled lots of tired looking paper. Onward and upward to my cute new office...

1 comment:

  1. you are too funny.
    I will own that I have a few pairs of shoes in the office. No tests though...

    ReplyDelete

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