Andyrama's Profile

When I was a kid my dad used a super strong adhesive to glue a nickel to the concrete garage step. We all fell for it and so did friends, neighbors and other visitors for years and years. Best prank ever- Low stakes, high visibility, provided entertainment for a really long time.

I agree with StephanieGriffiths as well. So many landlords look at rental properties as pure income generators without taking the responsibility to make them comfortable, liveable places- especially if we're talking about an older place that's been converted into separate floor apartments. They know they'll find tenants either way, so they don't bother with things like acoustics.

I would definitely invite your neighbors to approach your landlord jointly and see what they'd consider doing in terms of soundproofing/insulation. It DOES seem clear to me you're at that point where changing behavior isn't going to help. Everyday activity makes noise, and you can't help that fact. The only solution to in this case is a matter of engineering, and someone has to pay for it.

Aha, I had this book too! fond memories.

One thing I did is label every box with a letter of the alphabet. You could also just number them. Weeks before the actual move, I started packing small and non-essential items into the boxes, and noted what was going into every box in a MS Word Document. That way I wasn't limited to grouping and labeling boxed items by room, but by level of immediate need and similar fragility, or for optimum weight distribution.

So when I moved into my new house, I could easily access items as I was ready to use them or "populate" a particular space. I could easily search the document on my laptop to find that "large frying pan" as in "Box G," for instance. I didn't have to unpack the entire kitchen or bathroom to get in the moving day's meal or shower, for instance.

It may sound overwhelming, but I thought it was a good system because it made me examine the need for every item as I packed it. I ended up donating or selling a lot on my way out. It's also a really flexible system, as your box content lists could be as generic as "art supplies" to as specific as listing every individual item.

How do you know I'm not drunk?

I feel like the actual "Hoarders" show used to be a pretty good educational tool in building awareness of the problem and offering understanding or advice for those suffering or on the verge. However the most recent season relied way too heavily on sensationalism and family drama. Once you've made poop-filled rooms the focal point of your show it's hard to go back!

Still, now that this is a recognized and named problem I think it makes moderate clutterbugs like myself more wary of keeping unused items. I also look in envy at some of the minimalistic homes on AT and frequently work to pare down my belongings.

I would like to add to this list of recommendations local libraries and used bookstores for letting go of unwanted media. Many stores pay cash and some libraries have donation or exchange bins.

Also look for construction/home improvement recyclers or salvage shops in your area for donating unused "basement" items like old light fixtures, paint and furniture.

At the risk of seeming too much of a self-promoter, my Ron Swanson print gets a lot of great feedback. A customer even sent me a pic of Offerman himself holding one!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/68931056/ron-swanson-from-parks-recreation-lino</a href>

Late to the party, and this is a really quick and dirty mock up, but I like this scheme:

http://i724.photobucket.com/albums/ww246/andyrama/yellowhouse.jpg