Stockpile Issues

Would you believe me if I told you I have stockpile issues? I guess after revealing my box obsession, this isn’t much of a surprise. But I’ve just realized it myself. A few days ago, I went into the pantry and was immediately attacked by bags! Bags of every description---shopping, brown paper, plastic grocery sacks---what in the heck am I saving them for? And, when Butch takes one, I say, “Oh no, not that one”!---as if one is more valuable than another.

I have to have multiples of everything---measuring cups, wooden spoons, spatulas (you’d think I was Martha Stewart), sheets (at least 5 sets for every bed in this house), towels (enough for a Turkish bath), and don’t even get me started on my scrapbook supplies. 5 drawers of ribbon---need I say more?

The point of going into my stockpile issues is because last night, I had to face the fact that I really do have a problem. I got home from an evening with friends to find Butch in a bad mood. I figured it was just work related, but no, he was quick to inform me that someone had left the freezer open and EVERYTHING thawed. Now, there are only a few things that really get him wigged out: leaving the water run in the pool overnight, ordering an expensive meal and then wasting it, Styrofoam peanuts, opening bottled water in a hotel room that costs $7.50, people backing into his car, and a certain daughter accruing a $35.00 overdraft fee for the love of a $6.00 Starbucks. Okay, there are a lot of things that wig him out.

Back to the freezer. Oh, my, gosh, what a gloppy, sticky mess there was. How did this happen? Well, let’s just say that the girls have been here all week. Enough said. Well, in all fairness, it could have been me.

We threw away all the ice cream, popsicles, pizzas, vegetables,
pizza rolls, fish and anything else that was warm. I spent the day cooking meat that was still cold and partially frozen: 8 lb. standing rib, 4 packages of chicken breasts, 1 turkey breast, 1 pork tenderloin, 1 beef brisket, 2 cherry pies, and 4 lbs. ground round. I put it all back in the freezer after I cooked it. I guess there’s some comfort in that.

But the point is this---why in the world do I have that much food on hand? There’s just the two of us now and I only cook twice a week (remember my plan---cook twice, eat 4 times?). I just need to get rid of that darn freezer. And if I can get myself to do that, maybe I can turn loose of some of those bags too.