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My office, that is. It’s a pit. I usually do a complete cleaning after every book – about twice a year. And I mean, a really good cleaning. I move my desk and vacuum behind it (and find whatever little treasures fell back there over the past few months). I put all my research books back into the two bookcases and file all the receipts and letters and maps and things that have accumulated on top of every surface.
There are usually a few items that I’ve purchased – still in the bags – on the floor on the far side of the bookcase. I’ll check those out and see if I still need whatever’s in them. I’ve got a few gifts in here, too (since my birthday was a few weeks ago) and I’ll have to put them away.
Gosh, I sound ungrateful, don’t I? But the thing is that I get so preoccupied with the current manuscript that I don’t think about organizing things while I’m in here. I write. If I’m cleaning, I’m not writing … and as close to deadline as I am, I’d better be sitting with my fingers on the keyboard!
I usually try to arrange my deadlines so that they don’t conflict too much with real life. Like the holidays. Unfortunately, my current deadline was pushed back four weeks because I got waaaay behind this summer with my mom’s illness. So I’m working like crazy to get the book done for my January first deadline. Great way to start the new year, with a manuscript in the mail.
And a nice clean office
Filed in: Jaunty Post
Nov 29th
2005
9:29 am
Kimberly Logan Said:
Clean? What’s that?
Okay, I guess everyone here has figured out by now that I will never be nominated for the Betty Crocker Award.
And while my office is relatively neat, I have dust at least an inch thick coating everything. But I can’t dust because…er, um, I’m allergic to dust. Yeah, that’s it! I have allergies. I wouldn’t want to stir all those vicious dust mites up by actually cleaning. 
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Nov 29th
2005
10:35 pm
Haven Rich Said:
Well for me a clean desk would be a blessing. Its not that the cluster doesnt drive me mad and I clean it up but with having 7 cats fur is a normal. Try as you might but it gets everywhere and doesnt matter if you’ve just cleaned the desk or not. The fur collected under the desk would most likely make a nice coat..not that I’m looking..I’m afraid.
Much like Margo I clean under those scary areas about twice (sometimes 3) times a year. Now the top is a whole other matter. I get trapped-feeling with too much cluster on my desk soo it has to be cleaned at least once a week. (so I hide everything in drawers haha).
Ok let me correct myself I dont actually clean the desk, the cats do. Since they lay on my desk if its not clean enough for them to lay on with comfort then it gets pushed off into the floor, which means I clean fairly often so my stuff doesnt get pushed off.
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Nov 30th
2005
4:23 pm
Shirley Karr Said:
Kim, I’m allergic to dust mites — really! — and I’ve found the best way to deal with dust is to just let it be. For a few days after dusting I always feel like I have a miserable cold. Dust-free surfaces are just not worth it. Might be different if hubby dusted while I was out of the house for several hours, but really, what are the chances of that happening?
He does all the cooking, so I’m not going to bug him about dusting.
I started an office makeover in July, between book deadlines. Bought the perfect furniture (bookcase, credenza and hutch, shelving) so I can see everything yet still have it put away. So here we are, the end of November. The shelves are still bare, my books are still packed in boxes in the guestroom, and the next book deadline is breathing down my neck so I probably won’t do much to change things until after the book is finished. What’s the expression about good intentions…?
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Nov 30th
2005
9:21 pm
Anne Mallory Said:
It feels so good to have a clean office. I usually do a whirlwind pickup about once a month. Then things start trickling back, but that’s ok. It’s when I can’t find my mouse that I worry.
Our office desk is actually a converted dining room table in the middle of our office, so it’s really easy to clean underneath. The shelves and cabinets behind me, on the other hand…twice a year cleaning behind them would be an improvement.
We have all hardwood floors so I have a little dustbuster to pick up feral dust bunnies that join forces with the cat hair and collect everywhere. That’s more of a once-a-week job since it only takes ten minutes to run the thing around the baseboards and under the furniture.
Good luck these last few weeks before the 1st! That will be really nice to start 2006 with a fresh slate.
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