Another Monday at work. Whatevahs.

After work I caulked the ceiling edges and the front part of the counters in the kitchen. The fronts of some… most… of the kitchen cabinets are extremely weathered and the finish is flaking or peeling. I tested a quickie refinishing technique on a couple of sections, rubbing oil stain into the weathered wood using steel wool. It doesn’t look “new,” but it looks better than it did. I think I’ll be able to use this method on most of the weathered cabinets, and then brush coat everything with varnish. It will be easier than painting everything, and it will look less neglected than it does now. There’s not much point in putting too much effort or expense into the kitchen cabinets, as I’m sure that, were the house to sell, a new owner would tear everything out and replace all the cabinets and counter tops anyway.

I also managed to debox more toys and move them into storage containers. I’m down to about a dozen or so left to do. There are a few figures I am hesitant to unbox and I’ve been leaving them until last. Over the past few days I’ve been thinking about how much space they take up in their original cartons, how much effort goes in to taking care of them and boxing them properly so the cartons don’t get scuffed or damaged in storage, and how I did not intend to “collect” these items, but rather to use them as photography props, and that is leading me closer to deboxing everything.

Okay, almost everything. I still have a set of the original Monster High “First Wave” figures: Draculaura, Frankie, Clawdeen, and Lagoona – I’m hoping there’s a Ghoulia in there too – that are sealed up in a sturdy packing box and that I have no intention of opening.

The dolls are only part of my “hoard,” however. I am not sure what’s in all the other boxes in the Room of Doom. Books, I know. Some Pinky:st figures. And just… stuff.

A bit at a time, that’s the only way to get through it.

I really hope we can sell this house for enough money to make a move feasible. I hope I can complete enough decluttering and enough painting and repairs to meet the self-imposed “three month plan” or “100 Days” timeline. So far… so slow!