The big clearout

Today's recycling day and I had a satisfyingly large pile of paper to put out after a pre-moving clear-out at the weekend. Although all my work is done in electronic form, I still seem to end up with a fair chunk of paperwork. Apart from lexicography, which is almost exclusively done electronically, lots of other bits of work I do end up getting printed out. I just find it so much easier to read through something I've written on paper rather than on screen. It's also a bit of a tactic to help my RSI - if I can get away from my computer and desk and sit comfortably in an armchair with a piece of paper in front of me to read through or mark up, it gives my poor body a much-needed break. Often hard copies are put straight in the recycling after changes have been typed up, but for some projects, they end up in folders - so much easier to flip back through when you're looking for something then having to open lots of different files or documents. The folders inevitably pile up though and there comes a point where you have to have a clear-out. I was pretty ruthless, dumping anything that had already been published and only keeping stuff related to recent or unpublished projects - I'm sure that rival publishers wouldn't come and rifle through my recycling, but you've got to be carefully about confidentiality, I suppose!

As well as tackling my office shelves, I pulled out the contents of a few other cupboards and have a big pile of stuff to take to Oxfam. I also found a fairly impressive collection of mini toiletries collected from visits to nice hotels. I've now resolved not to buy any more shampoo or shower gel until I've used up all my minis ...