The interesting things that you can come across while cleaning...

Hi, my name is Janelle and I have a bad disease. It is called "a pack rat who never seems to throw things away." Along with this disease I have another one "HATES cleaning and will put it off as longgggggggg as possible." Well those two disease are getting a workout this week because I have had no choice. I only moved out of my parents home almost 1 year ago, but the time has come to actually clean my bedroom there and pack the rest of my junk up. That was entertaining. To top it off, I have company coming (my cousins) next week so my house has to be cleaned too! Double duty! Although, I can't believe the number of things that I have found that I have been looking for.

1. Batteries - enough to run my camera for 5 years. Not in packages of course, just all over the place.

2. Gum - never knew I bought so much. Does gum expire?

3. 4 copies of The Bag I am taking to Grandma's which I probably bought every time I thought I lost my first copy cause I use it for writing workshop at school.

4. The library book I declared lost and paid for about 3 years ago.

5. Letters written by my friends during high school and college ---including one from my friend going on and on about this guy she has a crush on (granted, it's 6 years old or more) and this friend just happened to marry this guy last weekend!! --- Jewels, I'll show it to you when you get back from your honeymoon.

6. My beloved Josh Groban t-shirt from the first time I saw him in concert that I have missed horribly!!

7. Enough navy blue socks to last me till I am 90.

8. 3 different portable cd players that I bought to replace the previous ones when I thought I lost them forever.

9. About 6 different pairs of headphones to go with those cd players

10. A picture of Mikayla at 3 months old that miraculously wasn't crushed.

11. Every purse I have bought in the last 2 years (which, since I buy a new purse every 4 months or so, turned out to be about 6 purses).

12. Papers from school from kids I had in kindergarten who will be starting 3rd grade in the fall. (yeah, good thing those didn't need to be marked on their report cards).

13. The handheld Tetris and solitaire games that I had given up playing on the plane.

14. About 50 word search, math logic, and math puzzle books that I apparently buy more often then I think.

15. 10 more Archie comics to add to the already ridiculous collection.

16. My making of Pride and Prejudice book that I thought I had bought but couldn't find.

17. The princess shirt I had bought for Mikayla to match mine, which I then lost and thought I was crazy and hadn't bought it, so I turned around and bought her another one. Needless to say, now she has two.

18. About 4 baby outfits I bought for Mikayla and never returned that she is too big to wear (when I say baby, I mean 6-9 month clothes---Mikayla is 2 and a half!)

19. Enough medication to cure the entire state of Michigan of any cold symptoms.

20. $10 from Aunt Helen & Aunt Leah from 2 Christmas ago (money is always a nice surprise)

I'll keep you posted as I continue to find new treasures. Meanwhile, does anyone know of a treatment center for people who collect way too much junk but hate to clean?