Monday, October 25, 2010

Oil and water

T and I are kind of opposites.  We compliment each other well, but I do think there have to be times when he looks at me, scratches his head and goes how does she manage to get by like this?  Case in point...organization.  We differ on this issue sooo much.  T is the most organized person I have ever met.  One of the things that really impressed me about him when we first started dating, and I first saw his apartment was how clean and organized it was.  Seriously.  Even the way he folds his clothes is perfect.  Me, I have a dresser where I just sort of throw my t-shirts into it and close the door before they all come tumbling out. 

Our desks are miles apart in organization as well.  I have stacks of random pieces of paper everywhere, and I just keep adding to it.  I'm a step away from being a hoarder, I'm afraid....the only thing that separates me from those I watch on TLC is that I do reach a point where I say "enough is enough" and I break down and clean the mess.
Here's my idea of "filing."  T and I have separate filing cabinets, and mine is crammed full of paperwork.  Yes, I have separate files to put paperwork in, and they are labeled...however those labels are old, and the names of utility companies on them are the ones I used in law school.  I know in my mind what they are, and I know where to put certain bills.  However, if you weren't me, you'd have no idea where things were.  And I don't have enough to go around.  One folder is just full of utility bills - gas, electric, water, etc., and it's labeled "REMC."  Do we use REMC?  No.  Are all of those bills the same company, deserving the same folder?  No.  And how old are the bills in there?  Um, maybe 2 years old.  And are they in chronological order?  No. 

Now that T and I are married, and our finances are joint, I am handing this job to him.  I feel I have no choice.  Hell, it wasn't but three years ago when I first started balancing my checkbook.  (See, I had this fine-tuned system of just checking the account online in the morning and getting a ballpark figure of how much was in there.  It is what it is, I guess.)  We have yet to go through my hot mess of a filing cabinet, and I just know that T and I are going to have to sit down and do that sooner than later.  We might need some alcoholic beverages to get through it, or at least T might need some beverages to get through it.   It should be interesting.

They say opposites attract, and I suppose that saying is definitely true with us.  It's why we work so well, what can I say?  And who knows?  Maybe his organization will rub off on me....


 

8 comments:

  1. Funny to read this one...Will and I are like that. He has that military clean personality and as you well know from living with me, I'm on almost the opposite side of the organization spectrum. Mine is controlled chaos- I know where it is as long as no one moves it! :-)

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  2. This is great! I too check money on-line and just go spend what I want! Problem with joint account...I have no idea how much money is alloted to what bills and I just spend! Karl is organized in the filing cabinet and bill area! I am the organized desk though!

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  3. Don't worry I do the same thing with the file folders, my hubby would have no idea where to find stuff either. But he doesn't file anything....so its just mine. He doesn't even care how to check the voicemail.

    CBG
    canadianbloggergirl.blogspot.com

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  4. I'm so glad that Boyfriend and I haven't had to do this yet. He may leave me over it. Seriously, no one can understand my system. Fortunately, for now, I just have money wired to his account and he pays all household bills. Everything else is separate, so I do my car, insurance, cell phone, etc etc etc.

    He's already concerned because I spaz when he says he's going to get into the closet where I keep all of that stuff.

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  5. Sounds like you compliment each other perfectly! I wish I had someone in my life to organize it!

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  6. I am the organized one. John is the messy one. There's a reason I never go into his office. :-)

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  7. There is definitely something to be said for being able to balance each other out! :)

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  8. This sounds like me and Michael! Since getting married, we've both rubbed off on each other a little, so I'm not as much of a pack-rat (although, I still am. I have papers everywhere too!) and he isn't quite as much of a neat-freak (I say that lovingly, and he is still much more organized than me) but we are more balanced. But still different :-) It's fun

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