Stopping Smoking (2)

One of the interesting side effects of stopping smoking is that the extended mid-life crisis that is the 50th Anniversary Edition is now having a little mid-life crisis of its own.

Having stopped smoking, it was time to clean out the studio, which had a fine layer of smoke and tar over everything: fresh start, new leaf, today is the first day of the rest of your life etc..

But then cleaning out the studio meant lifting everything off the shelves and asking, should I clean this or just throw it out? For a hoarder and collector like me this is very hard. There are many old friends here with whom I share happy memories. Marathon Infinity packaging and manual brought a smile to my lips (and hey - might it not be worth something now?).

No, the future starts here. Soon, bin bags of obsolete software, floppy disks, magazine CDs, computer games and printed manuals in binders were being escorted to the door and transported to a holding area. Years of six-track audio cassette recordings were rounded up and penned. Zip disks (remember them?) searched, relevant material confiscated and archived and the disks ejected.

As a result, entire shelves have been liberated. With the help and collaboration of 'storage solutions' from Ikea, other shelves have been marshalled into areas and sections, drilled and disciplined into neat and ordered rank and file.

Now listen carefully, because I'm going to speak very quietly, I think it might be listening ...shhh... next - it's the hardware.

Oh, by the way, notice the time? Yup - that's another effect of not smoking. I wake up at six o'clock every morning. It all seems to be a part of this new order.