Who's ready to do the Kondo?

I just finished reading “The life-changing magic of tidying up: the Japanese art of decluttering and organizing”, written by Marie Kondo. She actually works full time as a consultant for helping people tidy their homes/lives. I really enjoyed the alternate perspectives that she places on the task of tidying. While reading the book, one must remind themselves that it was written by someone from the Japanese culture, as a few of the ideas might be a bit odd for the typical American.

A few of the unique perspectives that struck me:

-Clean/tidy all at once. If you tidy just a little bit every day, you’re whole life will be consumed by tidying. Clean all at once and you will feel the immediate relief and peace from a tidy environment.

-Dump all items in one pile, all at once. All clothing items need to be in one location, one pile, for impact of their volume to take hold. Also, one can better sift through all clothing categories if all clothes are present.

-What if you have never worn the clothing item before? Or have used the item? These things have then taught you what you don’t like. Their presence in life hasn’t been useless because you have learned what you don’t like. All items have taught us something. Recognize the items for this, thank them, and send them off on a new journey.

            Example: I had a black, vest/shrug thing that I can recall the exact store, moment, etc. when I bought it. I have never worn it, and cannot forsee ever wanting to wear it. Does it spark joy? No. Perhaps it sparks stress in that I don’t know how to wear it. Do I feel bad that I wasted money buying it only to donate it? Nope. I am at peace with the idea that it taught me what I don’t like. Thank you Marie Kondo for putting “letting go” into a perspective that makes sense!

Now for a few quotes and thoughts from some of the chapters of the book.

Sentimental items

“By handling each sentimental item and deciding what to discard, you process your past.” Pg. 116

“It is not our memories but the person we have become because of those past experiences that we should treasure. This is the lesson these keepsakes teach us when we sort them. The space in which we live should be for the person we are becoming now, not for the person we were in the past.” Pg. 118

-I purchased a red, long sleeved Under Armor shirt in 2005 (?). That shirt has been with me during my time doing undergraduate research, working with the Minnesota DNR, leading winter camping trips, crossing the finish line of five Birkebeiner ski races... It was loved. Thin enough to be a second layer but not so much as to make me too hot. I could go on. But, it was also worn (it WAS ten years old). One sleeve was shorter than the other (I had to cut it as there were holes and pieces hanging from it). The center of the back was very thin and pilled from where my waterproof waders rubbed upon it. Thus, as I do have other shirts that can work similarly well, I let the shirt go. Of course, I thanked it for all the times it has kept me warm and the moments spent together.

Now Marie does suggest beginning your tidying with clothes, as those are the easiest to part with. I still have other sentimental items that will have to be parted with when I have more time to be home. Picture frames with hearts/jewels on the border? My high school days are past, and those frames can be let go as well.

Miscellaneous items

“Presents are not ‘things’ but a means for conveying someone’s feelings. When viewed from this perspective, you don’t need to feel guilty for parting with a gift. Just thank it for the joy it gave you when you first received it.” Pg. 108

-I received a bridesmaid gift and it was an item I had no use for, but was certainly much appreciated. In lieu of it going to waste and being buried in my closet for years to come, I exchanged it at the store where it was originally purchased for an item that I did need, really loved, and still use daily. No guilt to be had.

Selection criteria

“We should be choosing what we want to keep, not what we want to get rid of.”

“Take each item in one’s hand and ask: “Does this spark joy?” If it does, keep it. If not, dispose of it.” Pg. 41

-I had long brown sweater that I did wear a few times. However, as it was long, it was hard to find a coat that matched its length so I could wear it out in public. Wearing it, it felt heavy, like an unnecessary weight upon my body. Certainly, I did not feel joy emanated from this sweater. So, out the door it went for someone else to enjoy.

Alas, not only is there is a method for sorting through your belongings, but also a certain way that Marie Kondo likes to fold clothes. Although initially it takes an investment of time to reorganize your drawers, already I am enjoying the ease at choosing a shirt to wear without having to dig and mess up a stack of folded clothes.

                      

First things first: folding underwear. On the right you can see the finished look of the drawer. All the underwear has been folded following the KonMari way so that it can stay upright on its end. I used two small boxes to place the underwear in, thus keeping them retained in their own section of the drawer. (Ha! After re-watching the video of Marie folding undergarments, I realize that while I folded the same, I stored them differently. Whatever, the way I stand them on end saves more space).

                       

Next were the shirts, short and long sleeve, sports bras and exercise tank tops. Again, I folded these in the KonMari way: A video for short-sleeve shirts, and a video for long-sleeve shirts. Can't you imagine how easy it is to choose what shirt to wear as you can view ALL of your shirts at once?!

Now, Marie Kondo would want to see the shirts lined up in color order, from lightest to darkest, but lets not get too crazy. If you want to research a bit more about Marie Kondo, check out this article from the Wall Street Journal.

When it rains, it snows… (and pours, and gets windy, and smokey, etc.)

Most of the following was written early Saturday morning, February 7^th…

With fresh snow outside, one might think the sound that I hear on the rooftop might be reindeer hooves, however it is the sound of wet snow falling from the trees. So far this storm has brought us high winds, wildfires, finally snow, and now rain.

Friday evening, Feb. 6 at 9:14 pm (weather report from the top of Mammoth Mountain)

 Saturday morning, Feb. 7 at 6:10 am

Winds have decreased significantly since last night, but it’s still quite breezy out there. I get so excited with major storm events. It brings people together. I woke up one morning in northern Minnesota to 3+ feet of snow burying my car. People were walking to the grocery store with sleds to carry the food back home. Everyone just came together to help each other out. Storms test our strength, our ability to adapt, resiliency to come back. I feel secure knowing that I have the options of walking to work, taking the bus, and a closet full of clothes to trudge through the snow (as was the case Saturday morning) or to bow my head against the rain (as was the case Sunday night).

Although exciting, extreme weather events will unfortunately become more common as the earth’s climate continues to change. Small shifts inthe average distribution of temperatures, precipitation and other climatevariables can substantially change the frequency and intensity of extreme events. From this recent storm event came tragedy: overturned trucks on the highways (wind), cars in ditches (snow/ice), and communities evacuated (fire). And the next thing to watch out for: avalanches.

At the Welcome Center we were lucky to hear a presentation on avalanches from Sue Burak with the Inyo National Forest. Biggest take away that I learned: Wind loading = avalanches.

What is wind loading?

Wind will bring snow from the windward (upward) side of obstacles (ex: a ridge), and deposit the same snow on the leeward (downwind) side.

Wind can deposit snow 10 times more rapidly than snow falling from the sky. Also, wind-drifted snow when it comes to a rest is often much denser than other non-wind loaded snow, due to being ground up as it bounces along the ground. Ergo: wind loading adds a significant amount of weight on top of other buried snow layers, and forms a slab that can fracture quite easily. (info from the National Avalanche Center)

After storm events, Sue will go out and dig snow pits to test the stability of the snow, and write a “Snowpack Summary” that is shared publicly. A snowpit is dug vertically into the snowpack in order to observe the varying snow layers and potentially perform stability tests, such as the compression test (Isolate a column of snow, lay the blade of the shovel flat on top, begin tapping progressively harder on the shovel blade until the column fails).

All of humanity will want to get out and enjoy this snow, the first since Christmas time, but will their avalanche beacons be charged? Will everyone know how to use them? Turn them on? Locate their buried friends? Will people dig proper snow pits to check for avalanche danger?

The following story is a few years old, and it’s quite lengthy, but if you have time to spare, it shares a story of an avalanche in Washington in a way that demands respect for Mother Nature.

Snow Fall: The avalanche at Tunnel Creek

Social dynamics within a large group… I experienced that while climbing the Middle Teton in Grand Canyon National Park in a group of six. (Hail, thunder, etc…) Bad decisions are too often made. I’m lucky that all in our group returned safely.

So back to avalanches, to ensure the safety of skiers, snowboards and other snow enthusiasts, the Ski Patrol at Mammoth Mountain acts as the towns rooster, waking everyone up at 6:30 am with the sounds of a WWII Howitzer, intentionally triggering avalanches in the early morning when the mountain is still closed (more on the howitzer here) 

Now if only California would receive a few extreme snow fall events (instead of extreme drought and unusually high temperatures)… 

Who's got Birkie Fever!

It's that time of year again where thousands of people flock to northern Wisconsin to voluntarily ski 30+ miles in sub-zero temperatures. Sounds fun right? This will be my 6th pilgrimage to the snowy north to ski the American Birkebeiner.

Barkie-Birkie: One of the many events that occur during Birkie weekend (skijoring)

It's a lot to take on: the physical challenge of skiing for such a long distance, the mental challenge of staying positive while skiing for so long, and being able to adapt to a great many things such as varying weather conditions, how ones stomach reacts to certain foods, how well the wax holds, etc. Not to mention the discipline that it takes to prepare for such an event. My first Birkie I was not in great physical shape and it was a rough time out on the course. But despite the challenges involved, the Birkie has been an important rock for me to hold on to. Many days when I didn't want to leave the house, I left. And I loved it. Even in the bitter colds of Minnesota or the burning sun of California, the forests have become a refuge from whatever stressors are present in life. And who doesn't crack a smile while watching chickadees? Exactly.

Over the past few years, I have written bits and pieces about my Birkie experiences…

February 2013:
In six days I will ski 54 kilometers.  No worries.  I can do this, in fact I already have, 3 times to be exact.

For the past 8 months I have been meticulously aware of what I have eaten and drank… and what time I needed to awake in order to be on time for 6 am hot yoga on a Saturday morning.  And who knew that plain greek yogurt with flax seeds and blueberries would become more appetizing than ice cream?

So many emotions… Excitement that the day is finally here, nervous that I might miss the wax or wont meet my hypothetical “goal” time, and sad that the day I have looked forward to for so long will soon be over… then what?

But I will succeed.  I have treated my body like a temple, and my body will repay me with 5+ hours of superb skiing.  And if anything, I take pride in knowing that I am most likely the only one in the gym who truly knows how to use the rowing machine.

Think snow and stay cold.

-I'm aware that at times the level of control that I exercise over my life might be a tad too extreme, but during moments when life seems to be spiraling in every direction, having the Birkie as a solid rock for which I have control as to how prepared I am for it - it helps.

-In March of 2013 and 2014, I participated in a fat bike race held on the Birkebeiner trails. In 2013, which was the inaugural Fat Birkie race, I was the only female in the mountain bike category. I remember rolling up to the starting line with 2 other men. One of those moments where internal dialog is saying "Ok, this is happening. Here we go!"


March of 2013:

What the Fat Birkie means to me

A)   I signed up for the race

B)   I made it to the start with a positive attitude

C)   I crossed the finish line

D)   I walked up on stage to receive an award

The motivation and drive to go try my first bike race ever, also for the first time ever biking in the snow.  The drive to change my own bike tire, knowing that I’ve done it before, and can do it now (and the refusal to pay someone to do something that I know I can do, though it still might be a struggle).  Asking my roommate if he wanted to go biking with me with a response of… “that sounds like too much work”.  And then going out anyways. Choosing a tire air pressure and sticking with it, and not second guessing myself. I am motivated to get out, have an adventure, and never let the dust settle upon my body (or my bike).

Just a tad intimidating… Whatever, I got this.

- (And yes, if you use the rowing machine in a gym but have never received any professional advice, watch the following video: How to row! It drives me nuts to see people on the return first bend their knees, and then have to lift their hands up and over their bent knees. Wrong!)