Here We Go Again:The More Things Change…

So,ever wonder what an entire apartment of books looks like when it has been taken off the shelf and placed in at least 120 boxes?

I stopped counting at 90 boxes...

I moved in October of 2010. I packed up the apartment where all the previous posts on this blog took place. Where I started with 12 bookshelves full of books (to say nothing of the comics) and swore to cut this out of my life. So…was it successful?

Was it my ass.

I had one moving company say no to me,that they would need two trips to move everything. The movers I ended up with showed up,took one look into the back room where I had all the boxes of books and started shooting daggers at me with their eyes. And these photos don’t even take into account the kitchen full of comic book short boxes (including all back issues of Alter Ego and many short boxes used to hold actual books). My estimated inventory accounted for 120 boxes and 35 short boxes. I have no idea what the final count was. I couldn’t count through the tears.

And yet progress had been made. Over a thousand books and over twenty-five hundred comics were disposed of since I started this grand project. I thought I was making huge cuts;I thought I was massively cutting down on what I was buying;I thought I was doing this right. But I started so far in the hole that I hadn’t been able to dig myself out.

I’ve been in the new apartment for a little over half a year now. I am living with a wonderful woman who appreciates and celebrates my love of books and my collection. She has asked for no changes,and even took some of the more attractive books for displays in the living room. I have a wonderful library/office that brings smiles to the faces of visitors.

But I still feel trapped. Trapped by these bookshelves (7 full,two half,1 tall skinny). Trapped by these books. I really don’t know why I don’t have panic dreams where I am crushed in an avalanche of books. I have a two read pile which never goes down. Some day I will move again,and I don’t want to have to pack these books again.

So I’m starting again. Starting fresh. I’m going to try a different tack for the actual culling. I’m going to try a different tack for getting rid of them. And I’m gonna be back here,talking out-loud to myself (and those poor few that have utterly forgotten about the RSS feed they added in 2009).

So be back here tomorrow for a new mission statement and a better idea of what I am still working with. And thanks for your support.