Retrieval.

It's the end of the school year, almost, which means I'm already thinking about the next one.  Right now, that's mostly — gosh I hope I get a better handle on my schoolroom cabinets.

That's a metaphorical handle (mostly — The pull on the bottom right does keep coming off).

This is my command center during the school day.  It's funny, in many ways I am a laughably organized person, but I can't keep this countertop clear to save my life.

The drawers are even worse, since they are out of sight.  From time to time I just must clear off the counter, because it is crushing all my psychic energy under the weight of the bits that are piled on it; but the drawers attract every possibly-useful-in-the-future item in the entire first floor.  

Also adapters to devices we don't have anymore.  Also broken pieces of saint statues.  But I defy you to find a rubber band or a paper clip or a pencil sharpener in there … that is, if you want one.

It's not too hard to find a pair of scissors, but that's only because I deliberately salted all the drawers with about two dozen pairs at the start of this year.   

I have cleaned it out before, but I find the same stuff mostly just goes right back in where I put it.  This year, however, I achieved 25% success:  The leftmost drawer was designated "the drawer that holds scrap paper and crayons and colored pencils," and it stayed that way all year.  It finally found its calling.  Good for that drawer.  I still have three more to go, and I still can't find any paper clips.  Maybe by the time my oldest is in high school I will have a working set of drawers.

Never stop trying, though.  This is my latest attempt:

Ah yes, the "What am I looking for?!?" clipboard.  We shall see.  The idea is that every time I come up to the counter top to try to find something or use something, I will write down what item I am searching for.  Then, maybe, after a week or two, I will figure out what I actually need to keep here.  Maybe then I will feel better about stowing everything else somewhere I don't have to paw through it every time I want an eraser.

Now's the time to do it, while school's still in so the data will be good, but with summer — re-organization season — just around the corner.