So. Many. Clothes.

Milestone reached.  It was a long 2-3 weeks leading up to it. She got through all of the clothing on the racks in the basement, in the bags in the basement, in the master walk in closet, in the actual bedroom closet, in the hall closet, in the laundry baskets, in the 3rd level dresser and in the 3rd bedroom.

S and I started by pulling it out space by space and sorting it by size. Our roommate had to go and touch every item and make a decision about every item. It wasn’t until the 3rd day that she made a dispose decision.

During this time we heard a lot of

It’s so hot. We have to get a fan going

Its so dark. I have to get lights on

I need to get (fill in the blank)

I need to find (fill in the blank)

So we were all on a repetitive loop. Our goal was unchanged and the message consistent. There is no electricity because of the fire. The fire restoration company will inventory, catalog, move clean and store all of your things. They will be safe. What we need to do is not waste there time or money by throwing away stuff that you will never again wear. Clothing. Just the clothing. I know it was designer. I can see the tags are still on it. It must be sad. It isn’t your size.

The goal with the clothing has been unchanged.    Get rid of everything that doesn’t fit.   Your size is 18/20.   Accept you are not an 8 and will never be an 8 again.   Or a 10.  Or a 12.  Or a 14.    Therefore,  moving and sanitizing and washing and storing the 900 items you own  in those sizes is fake work.   Sort through.  Keep an item that brings you joy  (like she sheer black blouse you used to wear with the black lace bra – didn’t need to know that) and then lets get rid of the rest.

And then instead of choosing which of her 35 pairs of size 18 jeans she had on the bed she would go shopping and buy another pair of size 18 jeans because it was just easier. And she would come home with a bag and my T would look at me with those huge eyes that only mean “what in the actual hell?”

So milestone reached. At this point all of the clothing has been sorted and much of it has been disposed of.   The pile on the couch is the “save” pile. We haven’t been successful in identifying fall or winter clothing to clean and bring to our house yet despite daily reminders to do so and she actually is refusing to do so. now.

Those reminders have shifted in to her head somehow so she believes I won’t let her bring anything else into my house. So when S chose some things to bring here our roommate got all freaked out because she doesn’t want me kicking her out.

You know what I REALLY don’t want? I don’t want her to complain about being cold in our icebox basement come October and not having anything long sleeved to wear. I’m not a fortune teller or anything but this isn’t my first rodeo either. She just wants to blame future me for being cold. And that manipulation makes me know that this isn’t a memory deficit. This is an incredibly difficult personality.