Logjam

[snousle]

It's been almost a month since we arrived, and it's gone very, very fast. There is so much to do, and unpacking is such a logjam that it's hard to make any progress. One box will contain things that go to three different places, which are in turn full of boxes. Having the commercial kitchen and associated service patio still unavailable hasn't helped. Since the contractor didn't finish the floor in time for me to get it sealed, I have to move all the appliances, etch each area with acid, neutralize it, dry it, and finally put on the sealant. Otherwise I'd have had to wait another week and a half for delivery. So, because the floor isn't sealed there's no place to put the kitchen stuff, which jams up everything else. You get the idea!

And books! Books are the ultimate white elephant. I might never want to read them again, but throwing them out seems sacreligious. I'm not at all sure how to handle them. I know there's lots of bibliophiles reading this... has anyone succeeded in overcoming the tyranny of paper?

We have carved out a very reasonable living area, though, which makes things fairly pleasant. Here's some pictures...

This is our dining / living area. The finish carpentry is not even started in here - it will eventually have Craftsman-style stained fir trim around the windows. We're copying the finish carpentry in the San Jose house, as it was carefully designed to look good even when it's built by complete doofuses.



This is taken from the dining area, looking the other way into the residential kitchen. Note the little itty-bitty bar sink, which was never intended for washing dishes in - as we've been doing for the past four weeks.



John has set up his shop in the small guest room for now.



Kitsune has proven to be something of a porch dog, which makes her easy to manage out here. She's more interested in bugs and lizards than the larger wildlife. She did go after a small herd of deer but, amazingly, was rebuffed by the head buck. That's probably a good lesson for her to learn. In the meanwhile, she's ridiculously cute when she pounces on lizards in the tall grass.



Stainless fetishists will have to wait a while longer for pictures of the commercial kitchen, at least until it's respectable. Stay tuned.

Comments

[sig-info.livejournal.com]

I haven't overcome the tyranny of paper, but I try to manage it through occasional book purges: combing through my library for books to give away. Then I either invite friends in to pillage the culls, or donate them to the public library's book sale. I've done three of these in two decades, and have committed only two false positives in choosing books to give away. (There have probably been many more false negatives.)

After the last purge I posted my guidelines for when to keep a book. [Note: otters are mentioned.]

[bbearseviltwin.livejournal.com]

The house is looking very nice, can't wait to see the finished product. As to the books, my suggestion is to locate a used bookstore that buys books, you won't get much for them but you might get enough to pay for the gas to haul them to the store

The tyranny of books

[kevynjacobs.livejournal.com]

I broke myself of the habit of owning books in my early 20s, when I worked at a public library. With the huge collection of books available to me every day at work, I knew I could easily get any book I actually wanted.

So I started culling my own book collection. First I went through and asked, "Am I likely to ever read this again?" If the answer was "no," then it's just taking up space, and in a way, I'm keeping others from reading it. The exceptions: Sentimental favourites, books that were gifts from special someones, books signed by the author, and very, very rare books.

Reference and nonfiction books tended to get culled before fiction, as well. With the advent of the Internet, if I need to get nonfiction reference material, it's usually just a few keystrokes away.

Everything else, I donated to the local public library.

A few notes about library donations: Not everything you donate will get added to the library's collection. If it's a book that they already have copies of, or that isn't likely to have an audience, or isn't in good shape, the library will probably put it in their book sale. Libraries usually have these once a year to raise funds and purge excess books.

Also, unless you need a receipt for tax purposes, the easiest way to donate to a library is to... simply drop it in the book drop. Anonymously. The library will usually hold the book for 30 days, to see if it's claimed, then it goes to the collection development librarian, to determine if it will be added to the collection, and if not, to the book sale. It's a pain-free way to get rid of excess books, and honestly, most of them you'll never miss.

Also, from time to time, I sell books on Half.com and Amazon.com. When culling, check the titles at these locations, to see if there are many used copies for sale, or if the used prices on that title are particularly high. Sometimes, a book is rare and/or expensive enough to merit listing for sale there. They only charge you if the book sells.

[furr-a-bruin.livejournal.com]

Books....

I have a few that have value only as kindling, I must admit - nonfiction reference books, sadly out of date. I just haven't bothered getting rid of them.

However, the vast majority of my collection is fiction, and as I'm a HUGE re-reader ... I don't generally get rid of those, unless I discover that by some happenstance I've acquired more than one copy. Granted - I'm a data packrat and look at this issue very differently than you do. :)

[bikerbearmark.livejournal.com]

The notty pine ceiling looks awesome - is that the finished color, or will you going to stain it darker? Love the Mission/Craftsman styling throughout as well.

As for book recommendations, I've gone the library donation route before and felt good about it. It's even easier when you're planning to stay nearby - you always know you can borrow the book if you like.

Speaking of which, I have a dozen boxes of books untouched since the move from Seattle - those should just go to the library sight unseen.

[bigredpaul.livejournal.com]

I put the old computer reference books in the recycle bin, as no one will want to buy them and the library will not use them, either. At least that way they become new paper for new books or other paper products.

[hickbear.livejournal.com]

On the tyranny, we've done like sig_info did and donated a ton to the local library, because like kevynjacobs, we've re-discovered the magic of that place.

When we moved to South Carolina, we were in a small apartment, so we left our books behind in storage in Georgia. The main branch of the Richland County Library in downtown Columbia is both fuckin' gorgeous and fuckin' loaded, so many was the evening we'd spend just browsing the library and occasionally bringing a book or three home.

We continued the habit in Nashville, and don't expect we'll break it, regardless of where we're living next.

[beastbriskett.livejournal.com]

Man, your craftsman-mullioned windows and doors are so inviting. Even with the packing confusion, you place looks terrific! I can't wait to see it for real!

[barbarian-rat.livejournal.com]

Ditto on the windows, they look great.

Books - There are several avenues that I have taken
eBay
used book stores
thriftshop of your choice.
Library, as suggested above, is good too.

I am so fucked up when it comes to books!

[beartech420.livejournal.com]

The place looks really nice!
Books!!!
They have become a terrible obsession with me. They always have, I have a horrible time getting rid of even dated books! You would not believe how difficult it was to throw out old DOS books. I kept on looking at them and felt guilty that I didn't use the book to my full potential! Then this totally irrational voice in my head, "What if you throw the book out and a few days, months, years later you really NEED the book for something?" Like my career or life would depend on my knowledge of dos or autoCad version 3.1.

The only thing that I think will save me is to buy a good scanner and start scanning my library into pdf format, then either donate to library or throw them out. I know I'm fucked up. If I won the lottery my house would be all library. Something like Henry Higgins library in my fair lady with the high ceiling and the handsome brass ladder on bass rails and wheels.
Yeah a good scanner and wait for an industrial standard for a good e-book reader.
BestRegards,
Pete

[jpeace.livejournal.com]

I mean this seriously: after you burn your first book it gets so much easier. Try it.

[snousle.livejournal.com]

I'm thinking that at current energy prices, that is actually their highest value. We're getting a wood stove soon and maybe I'll ask the salesman about burning books. He'll probably give us a better deal since he'll assume we're Christians.

But I was looking at an old electrical engineering text... sorta interesting, unlikely to be useful.... so I turn it over, and it's, like, NINETY DOLLARS!!! And that was in 1992 or something! EEEEK! Of course the textbook publishing bastards change them all the time so old books are no longer useful to today's students.

[h0gwash.livejournal.com]

I love how the collage of colors update the Crafstman look. Love those doors.