PILES UPON PILES

Ah pack rat heaven. Well for people who love piles it is. And we have a few of them at city hall. They just love to find a spare closet or desk to hide crap when they run out of room.

I don’t think I would mind if it was good crap. However so often it is stuff that to me makes no sense at all. I’m sorry, but if you have a need to save old magazines or empty paper clip boxes can you do it at home?

Apparently that is not the case with my employees. It is as if they either have a spouse that says, “no way” to them keeping the stuff at home so they keep it at work.

What is really difficult is a pack rat can be truly great and hiding their real nature. You can look at their desk and assume they are sane.

It isn’t till later when you happen to open the door to a closet the use that you go, “Oh my god, we have a supply rodent problem.” And the worse thing is you can even use a mousetrap or exterminator to get rid of them.

I did toy with the idea once. But you know what with the laws government various things like that in terms of human beings I just had to forget it. Ridding yourself of a pack rat by such a means doesn’t count as justified by any court, the unreasonable people!

So my method of dealing with them is to have a “general housekeeping” day at work. That is kind of an amnesty day in one manner. I give the pack rat a chance to get rid of their junk without fear of retribution.

Most of the time it does solve the problem of cleaning out a given closet. It also gives me the illusion I actually did something good.

That is until I come across their next hiding place some time later! It used to depressed me, but now I just use it as an excuse to hold another general housekeeping event.

All and all it becomes sort of a game I guess. My mind verses the mess lovers. Who will win? Naturally I use my own special method of keeping score. At least it makes me happy.

And as long as I avoid having to cope with that one totally die hard pack rat who got so desperate that he or she elected to try and hide crap in my desk drawer, I can live with the consequences. I’m still shaking from the moment I opened my bottom desk hand drawer and found a stuffed squirrel in it!

Here’s hoping that all of you are able to fight the pile of piles battles without any casualties. And if you get into trouble whatever you do, please don’t decide to use my desk as a hideout!