WHEN WE LIVED in San Diego in the 1990s, I alphabetized the cookbooks in our library. I was so happy with the results — order out of chaos — that I decided to do the same with our mess of spices in one of the kitchen cabinets. When I finished, the spices were in alphabetical order on stepped shelving and two-tiered turntables (which, oddly, I always had on hand and which should tell you something about my personality), easily visible, easily reachable, and exactly where they were supposed to be.
When San Geraldo walked in the door, I pointed at the bookshelves and announced, "Look what I did!"
"What?"
"I alphabetized the cookbooks!"
He sputtered. "Well, using what system?" (I should note he was director of libraries at University of California, San Diego.)
"What?"
"Where did you put the Sunset Ground Beef Cookbook?"
"What?"
"Well, did you put it under Sunset? Ground? Or is it under Beef?!? How am I supposed to find anything?"
"I also alphabetized the spices," I commented as I walked into the kitchen.
"But... What system did you use? Is black pepper under Pepper? Is it under Black? What about red pepper? Or Spanish Paprika? Is ground cumin under Cumin or is it under Ground?"
"Jerry, tell me, what system do YOU use for organizing the spices and the cookbooks?"
"I don't use any. I just search for what I need."
"OK, then, just pretend everything is still a complete mess and keep searching."
Today's two photos should give you an idea of what it's like to live with me. And, just so you know, this is all me. I make no demands of San Geraldo, who never puts anything away anyway. And, yes, I rearrange daily as stock dwindles.
I control what I can.
CUANDO VIVÍAMOS EN San Diego en los años 90, ordené alfabéticamente los libros de cocina en nuestra biblioteca. Estaba tan feliz con los resultados, ordenados por el caos, que decidí hacer lo mismo con nuestro lío de especias en uno de los gabinetes de la cocina. Cuando terminé, las especias estaban en orden alfabético en las estanterías escalonadas y en los tocadiscos de dos niveles (que, curiosamente, siempre tenía a mano y que deberían contarle algo sobre mi personalidad), fácilmente visibles, fácilmente accesibles, y exactamente dónde estaban y exactamente donde se suponía que estaban.
Cuando San Geraldo volvio a casa, señalé las estanterías y anuncié: "¡Mira lo que hice!"
"¿Qué?"
"¡Alfabeticé los libros de cocina!"
Él escupió. "Pero, ¿usando qué sistema?" (Debo decirles que fue director de bibliotecas en la Universidad de California, San Diego).
"¿Qué?"
"¿Dónde pusiste el libro de cocina Sunset Ground Beef?"
"¿Qué?"
"¿Lo pusiste debajo de Sunset? Ground? ¿O está debajo de Beef? ¿Cómo se supone que debo encontrar algo?"
"También ordené alfabéticamente las especias", comenté mientras caminaba hacia la cocina.
"Pero ... ¿Qué sistema usaste? ¿Está la pimienta negra debajo de Pimienta? ¿Está debajo de Negra? ¿Qué pasa con la pimienta roja? ¿O la paprika española? ¿El comino molido está debajo de Comino o Molido?"
"Jerry, dime, ¿qué sistema utilizas para organizar las especias y los libros de cocina?"
"No uso ninguno. Solo busco lo que necesito".
"Está bien, entonces, finge que todo sigue siendo un completo desastre y sigue buscando".
Las dos fotos de hoy deberían darte una idea de cómo es vivir conmigo. Y, para que lo sepas, esto es todo yo. No hago demandas a San Geraldo, quien nunca guarda nada de todos modos. Y, sí, reorganizo diariamente a medida que las existencias disminuyen.
Yo controlo lo que puedo.
Oh, así es como, uh-huh uh-huh, me gusta, uh-huh, uh-huh.
For video on YouTube, click here.
Para el video en YouTube, haz clic aquí.
I am big on alphabetizing at work, not so much at home. :) But I do keep putting things in places they do not belong, in a moment of distraction or just being busy in the mind.
ReplyDeleteFor two days we could not find the chicken antibiotics we'd brought back from the vet and had been using for two days. Luckily we had some spares we'd placed elsewhere so we were ok for three days worth of doses, and I had planned a search when we got home today.. but before the search could start, tonight the missing tablets were found in the fridge. Where they most certainly did not belong! Usually I put things that don't belong in the fridge there, and thankfully that does not happen in reverse.
The table salt and black pepper end up in the fridge more than anything else.. it is now the first place I look when they go missing. :)
Snoskred:
DeleteI love organizing. Anything. Anywhere. But I'm famous for putting things in safe places never to be found again. And I have been known to put a milk carton in the sink and the empty glass in the refrigerator.
too much cottage cheese! (yuck)
ReplyDeleteand we have that big bottle of mccormick dark chili powder!
poor SG; I feel for him.
anne marie:
DeleteJerry has cottage cheese as part of his breakfast every morning. And he can only get it at one store, so he stocks up. Don't feel sorry for Jerry... "Mitchell, where is my? Mitchell, do we have any? Mitchell, where did you put?"
After years of strife I did alphabetize the spices, black pepper is under P for pepper. There is a stage in childhood development were children recognize that something they cannot see, still exists. J missed that stage, if it is not where he expects it to be, it might as well be on the moon. If I know I have it, I will find it in here someplace.
ReplyDeleteTravel:
DeleteIt didn't seem all that confusing to me when it came to the spices. Peppers under P and then alphabetized from there, etc. I wish I could say I will always find everything here someplace. I hate things being OUT all over the place, but I can't tell you how many things I've put away safely never to be found again.
I worked as a file clerk back before the digital age, and I hated when people put files back under "The". At home, only dvds and cds are in order (way too many to be haphazard about). Balder Half seems to think that if there is a hole or flat surface something should go there. I have to explain that the linen closet is for towels and if there is an empty spot, it's because I'm doing the wash! I have lost keys in the freezer.
ReplyDeleteDeedles:
DeleteJerry lives, as he puts it, horizontally. His office is a horizontal mess, desk, bed, floor, paper shredder. He spreads. And he'd NEVER puts anything away in a closet... except sometimes his clothes.
You two are SO Carlos and me that it scares me a little.
ReplyDeleteI mean, to think there are more of us out there??????
There can never be too many more of you guys out there, Bob! You make life spicy.
DeleteBob:
DeleteI know. I think that every time you write about Carlos.
Deedles:
DeleteYou are so kind!
I would LOVE for you to come to my kitchen and organize me! But maybe what I really need is a bigger pantry so things aren't just shoved where there is a little room. I'm always buying some interesting ingredient for some odd recipe and then not remembering where it is or the recipe. Then there is my freezer!!!
ReplyDeletesillygirl:
DeleteI would love to organize a big pantry. We don't have one of those anymore! But, Jerry always said he just needed a bigger desk. So he got a bigger desk. It just left even more room for him to make a mess.
You should NOT alphabetize spices. Any cook knows (or should know) that the cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, ginger and pumpkin pie spice mix all make a group; the dried basil (I always use fresh when I have it), oregano, bay leaf, parsley vanno bene insieme vicino alla garlic powder and pepperoncini flakes; onion powder can be included; paprika, blackened season, fish season, poultry season, and other mixed seasoning go together; the salt and black pepper have their own real estate on the counter. If you moved my seasonings into a file cabinet, I would have an anxiety attack.
ReplyDeleteThis is my method too!
DeleteFrank:
DeleteOh, I would disagree. But then I'm not a cook, so I don't have a leg to stand on. Anyway, it makes no difference for Jerry HOW they're organized.
Jennifer:
DeleteWhew! I'm glad I didn't have to defend myself!
this is brilliant, that is exactly what I would do. At the supermarket spices are in alphabetical order as for cookbooks I would arrange them by type of cooking, French, Indian, Asian,South American, etc.. Easy as pie. The Saint should thank you.
ReplyDeleteLaurent
Laurent:
DeleteLock me in an organizer store overnight. My idea of Paradise. I DID arrange the cookbooks alphabetically AND by type of cooking, too. The Saint does thank me, sometimes.
You are so organized! We try to be, but unintentionally Dennis tends to undo what I organize and I tend to undo what he organizes. Chaos ensues. A quick story: Long ago when we lived in Minnesota, we had someone house sit for us for a couple of weeks. She became snowbound and decided to reorganize our entire kitchen - the spices, the pantry, the pots and pans, the dishes in the cupboards. We were confused for months. Maybe we still are.
ReplyDeleteWilma:
DeleteIt helps that only one of us likes to organize these things. I never have to worry about Jerry redoing anything... only making a mess of what's done. And then I just clean up after him. I would go NUTS if someone reorganized MY organization. We had a housekeeper who even rearranged our furniture and plants... because she liked it better that way! I had to talk with her TWICE. Thankfully, she stopped working!
Crikey you are organized! I just throw everything into a cupboard then try and not knock everything out when I am looking for a spice (seriously). Perhaps you could come by and organize my kitchen? And closet?
ReplyDeleteCheapchick:
DeleteThat's Jerry. And then he would complain about the mess. I'd love to organize for you. Very therapeutic.
Ah I am methodical and yet not tidy. I organise myself by having heaps all over my desk, yet I know which heap contains what. That is until Madam decides to organise me and then it takes me forever to reassemble my heaps into there normal clutter.
ReplyDeleteHeron:
DeleteJerry has stack upon stack and insists he knows exactly where everything is... until he looks for something and can't find it! Then it's "Mitchell, did you happen to move my...?" No I did not.
Much different look you guys have for coke zero cans in spain
ReplyDeleteAdam:
DeleteI had forgotten how different they look here. I guess I've gotten used to them. I rarely drink it. That's a Jerry thing.
I am semi-organized. Ken is not. My method for spices (and everything else) is this: They go wherever, but they always go there. I can see where something is in my mind. This method fails miserably when Ken relocates something. Because, you see, I know where it WAS, not where it IS. Still, I'm very good at methodically finding something that's been misplaced. Ken will give up quickly, and go buy a new one. That's why we have three bottles of cumin in the spice cabinet.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, whose refrigerator looks like that? No leftovers? No half-full bottles of sauce, milk, wine? No little bowls of something that you thought should be saved... three months ago? Too much empty real estate! LOL
Walt the Fourth:
DeleteIf I cooked, i suppose the spice could be done the way you do them. Until recently, I had the spices on two three-tier turntables. They started off alphabetical, but Jerry would regularly just stuff them back in empty spaces and then he never knew what he had, which is why we have for example three jars of ground cinnamon and two of cinnamon sticks!
How did you know!? lol
ReplyDeleteI KNOW where things go as far as the things I use daily to prepare breakfast and supper. I DO NOT like it when Ron attempts (not very often mind you) to rearrange things. He has his method when preparing and storing Sophie's (our dog) food daily from scratch. I wouldn't dare change a thing and have no clue what his system is.
I can be OCD. I LOVE order and tidiness. Ron could care less. But....it appears to work for us. Thank the gods!
Jim:
DeleteI wouldn't survive with someone who obsesses about these same things. I like MY way. It's much easier to live with a slob and organize around him.