Every Kitchen Has One or Two or More

My coffee is hot as I sit down to make out my things-to-do list and realize I need a pen . The mug with the pens didn't have the one I prefer to write with so I went to the junk drawer to get one. Every kitchen has, or should have, a junk drawer; we have four. I should probably qualify that: we have four that we use for junk; I'm not sure if that was the description of the drawers in the kitchen when we were buying this place; probably some fancy name like utility drawers or extra- space- in- the-kitchen drawers, but in this house it's definitely junk drawers.

When I opened the first drawer I found fourteen new pencils that I knew would never be sharpened. They had various advertising and slogans from events and places visited; these were souvenirs never to be used for writing. There were six highlighters ; who highlights anymore? Five markers and some cutesy notepads. I pricked my finger on something appropriately named "thumbtack" . The rest of the package was stuck in the back of the drawer. These weren't even thumbtacks but upholstery nails! Where did those come from? I found a dog brush, paper clips, and tape; athletic, duct and scotch. There were six different kinds of scissors for cutting nails, (people and animal), hair (again, people and animal), fabric (pinking shears) and get this, even paper! And if you know a kindergartner, I have a pair with rounded tips.

The counter top is really getting cluttered with all these piles of things. I've been tossing stuff into the garbage can and realize I have to bring it closer or I will have a lot of sweeping to do afterward. I have found gum wrappers, broken rubber bands and several stick pens that had chewed tops (got to keep the orthodontist in his BMW), nail files that have passed their usefulness and glue sticks that don't have any glue left. I was beginning to think this drawer had a name after all: Garbage Drawer. There was hope though and I renamed it the "Stationery-Craft Drawer".

Naming the next drawer was easy. The three screwdrivers, a hammer, pliers and electrical tape made this the "Tool Drawer". I found a thirteen piece Allen wrench set. It made me think: why not twelve or fourteen pieces? Couldn't "they" come up with another size of Allen screws? Actually, this doesn't really matter since this set had three missing wrenches so I have a ten-piece Allen wrench set. I found the coolest pointer thing. It was like an extendable car antenna but in its own case, the paperclips stuck to it suggest it also has a magnetic tip. I wonder where that came from, who's it was and what's it for. The neat little piles on the counter have become a mess. It's on to drawer three.

This one could be a combination of the Stationery-Craft Drawer and the Tool Drawer; the extension cords, nails, paper clips, broken crayons and pens were the dead giveaway. I decided this was unacceptable and moved the stuff to their respective drawers, garbage can and two of the extension cords were going to the work shop. In the back of this drawer were four plastic, scribbled-on pencil boxes from each child when they no longer needed them for school. Let me explain why I still have them. The boxes may look messy but they are still good enough to hold things and hold things they do. Can you say "pack rat"? The first was filled with, you guessed it, pens and pencils. I'm sure some of the ink is still good but don't have the time to test each one. I did throw out the chewed pencils and stubs. The next box had batteries and birthday candles, the third had scissors and more pens. The last- but- not- least box had games pieces, an egg timer, Christmas light replacement bulbs, a pair of left-handed scissors (we are all right handed) and more pens. I closed the last box...... and the drawer.

The fourth drawer was hard to open. Something was caught. After struggling a few moments I freed the drawer with all my strength and nearly fell on the floor. A crumpled folder with past school assignments was the culprit. I should mention that these assignments were from my now eleventh grade daughter's first quarter of eighth grade! You see I found early on it was important to keep the work for at least a semester; nine times out of ten the paper I threw out was the one we needed for some reference or another. It looks like in the second semester of eighth grade it was no longer all that important to save assignments. I did find a drawing from fourth grade that should have been tossed years ago but since I've had it this long I didn't have the heart to throw it out now; it's on the keep pile. The schedule for the last band concert did find a place in the garbage can along with a broken Pez dispenser. What was an ice pick doing in here? Who even has or uses an ice pick nowadays without an intruder lurking in the bushes outside?

I'm scratching my head as to why there were three pairs of shoelaces in there. Who buys shoes laces anyway? By the time the laces wear out the shoes are probably ready to be replaced. Clean laces on old shoes scream: GOODWILL!!! I found a ziploc bag with pumpkins on it that was too cute to throw away so I filled it with a bunch of wine corks. Yes, wine corks. I once saw a cool serving tray in craft shop that I think I can duplicate. It may take a while since I'm the only one drinking the wine around here and in the meantime a wine cork can come in handy for making a Hobo beard at Halloween. You just never know; a neighbor might call looking for help with their kid's Halloween costume this year.... or maybe next. I'm still in drawer four where I found those things that go around hot coffee cups. Trying to be on the "green" side of life I want to reuse them the next time I go to the coffee shop, the problem as I see it is that I have about eight of them in a rubber band sitting in a drawer. At this rate I could have about a dozen more by the end of the month and it looks like I may flunk out of "green" school. I will put them in the car.

I've been at this drawer clean up for nearly two hours! The counter is full of stuff so I pull in the daughter to go through her things and make some decisions; keep it (in your own drawer, in your room) or I toss it. She sees the old band concert schedule in the garbage can and I hear an "awww". Something in that long ago performance brought back a fond memory. Now, if she would just stay out of the garbage garbage and go through the stuff on the counter! I have been told that the geometry report has to be kept and "the Pez dispenser is cute". (stay out of the garbage can!!!) Why she won't take her Chapstick and hair bands to her room is beyond me. She is proving to be of no help whatsoever. I send her on her way and shove everything from the counter back into drawer four!

As I look around the kitchen I count eight more drawers that need going through but the energy is gone. I know it has to be done but I don't want to throw out the ratty dish towels right now or get the crumbs out of the silverware drawer today. These drawers will have to wait for another time.

I'm bushed and my back hurts; I've got to sit down. Back at the table, feet up on a chair, with cold coffee, I'm ready to get started on my list......... but I need a pen!