By Rick Ryckeley
Fayette County Fire & Emergency Services

About this time every year, people across this land bring forth a long list of New Year resolutions. They speak and write of things that they will accomplish in the coming year. Some will give up smoking, lose weight, or return into the gym to get back into shape. Still others will vow to spend more time with the family.

The lists go on and on with one common thread I have found running throughout all of them. The louder someone talks, the less likely they will do anything on their list. So I, on the other hand, have chosen not to look forward at the things that need to be done, but rather to look back at things still left undone.

The following is but a short list of items left undone from 2001. If you have time after you complete the items on your list, please feel free to come over and lend us a hand.

My wife says I'm a pack rat, disorganized, and have piles of junk everywhere. I say that I'm a collector of oddities and have a system. I never throw anything away, and there is a good reason for it. I have a system, and one of the first rules of that system is if you throw it out today then, inevitably, you will need it tomorrow.

On top of the list of things left undone from last year is cleaning the office. To the untrained eye, it looks like our office is cluttered with papers all over the floor and boxes everywhere. Ah, but in reality, the system takes over. The stack and pile system.

The stack and pile system is a system that I have spent years perfecting but will pass its secrets on to you now. First, fill up your desk with stacks of important papers. If you need anything that is important, it's right there: on the desk, in a stack, within easy reach. (Not only does this keep things organized, but a stacked desk makes you look busy.)

Then, when you need more space you have it; simply move the stacks and pile them on the floor. Anything you need that's important will be found in a stack on the desk or a pile on the floor. What other system could be more convenient?

As of yet, my wife has not seen the brilliance of my stack and pile system. So, the first part of January will be spent cleaning the office and filing everything. (I got a new file cabinet for Christmas.)

The second item on our list of things left undone is cleaning out the closet. But you'll find that the stack and pile system works really well in closet areas too. Last year we collected a lot of stuff that all seemed to find their way to the bottom of our closets. Closet space is something we have too little of. Stuff is something we have too much of.

What do you do with all of that stuff? Simple. The stack and pile system comes through once again. Anything that is not important papers can be stacked and piled in the bottom of any closet. We have four closets, and I can proudly say that all are stacked and piled. (Do you know how many complimentary hotel soaps, little shampoos, conditioners, and shower caps one can collect over the years?)

My wife ventured into my closet last week and found three pairs of pants in a box on the floor. They had never been worn and never been out of the box. When asked why I have never worn the pants or the new tennis shoes next to them, I answered, "If I wear them they will no longer be new." She was not amused.

She said, "The second week in January we will be cleaning out our closets."

I asked her, "Does the "we" mean me and "our closets" mean my closet?"

She again was not amused.

She went on to say, "All the stuff that is not clothes will be sorted through and thrown out." I look forward to the time "we" will finally be able to hang "our" clothes up again. (I would finish painting the closets, but there's too much stuff stacked and piled in there.)

You might ask, "But what do I do when all the closets are stacked and piled to the ceiling?" Have no fear. The stack and pile system comes to the rescue once again. The system works great for that space under the bed. (I learned this one at the mere age of five. If you stack and pile enough stuff under your bed, the monsters won't come out.)

As you take down your tree, remember that all Christmas ornaments, wrapping paper, bows, and lights can be easily stored in plastic containers. Then you can stack and pile them under the bed and forget about them, and any monsters, 'til next year.

As soon as the holidays are over, we will sort through all of the stacks and piles that somehow "we" have collected in our house over the years. If you do the same, you might have a hard time deciding what to keep and stack, what to keep and pile, or what to just throw away. If so, you can use the system that my wife has come up with and we now use in our home.

Her system to determine what is to be thrown out or what is to be kept is simple and has only two rules. Rule number one: the wife is always right. Rule number two is similar to rule number one: when the husband thinks he is right just refer to rule number one.

Happy New Year.

[Rick Ryckeley is employed by the Fayette County Department of Fire and Emergency Services. He can be reached at saferick@bellsouth.net.]

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