Organized basement - somewhat...

Melanie came last weekend to help make sense of the mess in the basement:

 

One final look at the chaos.

We made a huge improvement in the situation down there: 

 

 

Look at that! Cabinets put together, 75 drawers of type in slots and a better handle on all of the rest that needs to be organized! There is a lot of spacing and loose type that needs to be sorted, not to mention drawers that need to be sorted. It's going to be a big job. But maybe I can get myself to tackle it slowly and deliberately.... maybe I can really get things organized in a year?  

Thank goodness for friends with brains because we sure needed them. That wooden cabinet back there was a bit of a puzzle, not to mention rickety. But Melanie suggested we use brackets and now that things isn't wiggling an millimeter.

 

There were also some unfortunate set backs. Somehow the floor of the basement got soaking wet. I don't think that much water comes up from the ground because there isn't evidence of that anywhere else. The bottom few drawers of each of those stacks got absolutely soaked. And of course that means a nice mold outbreak. One of the drawers I already tossed, type and all. It was just too disgusting, not to mention a health hazard. 

 

However, one of those moldy drawers had to be cleaned because it was unique. It was an entire drawer of spacing. A very expensive replacement. Melanie and I spent an afternoon washing all the spacing in a water/bleach solution and then after she left I sprayed the drawer with bleach and blasted it with a water gun. I think I need to go over it one more time and then put it in the sun on a sunny day. (UV rays kill mold.)  

The spacing sat on the porch for a few days, until the thread of a storm made me haul it inside. 

 

And the drawer looks pretty good in photos, but trust me there is still plenty of gunk on it. I'm thinking a good stiff brush, bleach and the power washer will help a lot. Today is a grey day though... this will have to wait. 

 

And the cats had a blast last weekend. So much fun when the humans are in that wonderful smelling basement. There is just so much to explore there. Unfortunately, mommy was behind on the flee medication and they somehow got an infestation. Jacques has licked giant patches of fur off and is generally going bonkers with his skin crawling.

 He finally found peace (sort of) on top of my taxes in the shoe box. But his skin kept twitching.

Swee'pea has chewed off all the fur on his tummy and at the base of his tail. Both kitties are sulking right now because their mean mommy put the nasty stinky stuff on their necks.