The A-List

I'll go ahead and admit it right now. I am a list freak - I make lists for everything. I make lists of lists I need to make. If you were to hack into my home computer (please don't), you would find all sorts of lists peppering My Documents. I have to say this is not all my fault, though. I was inundated with lists while I was growing up.

My Mom is an avid listmaker. Dad accuses her of making lists of stuff she's already done just so she'll have something to cross off. As a kid, we had a list for homework, a list for chores, a list for random stuff to do, the ongoing grocery list...It goes on and on. So it is only natural that I would pick up this list-making skill from Mom.

I never go to the grocery store without my list. And it's in order too...By aisle. That's right, folks. I know the grocery store so well that I can make my list in the order in which I actually pluck the items from the shelves. Currently the list is made on a 75 cent notepad that sticks to the refrigerator via the magnet on back (or it did until I got a little carried away with it and dislodged the glue holding the magnet on). I used to have a high-tech version of the grocery list...you guessed it...on my computer. I still have it, of course. It was sectioned off in the same aisle order. I had a few friends who thought I was crazy - others asked me to email it to them. I don't use it anymore for a few reasons, the main one being laziness.

I recently began a weekly household chore list, with some items on a four-week rotation. That's right - I get complicated with my lists. Husband graciously assists me with some of the chores. Some, however, he sees no point in doing regularly. That's ok - I don't think it's important to regularly vacuum out the PC, so it's clear we have different cleaning priorities. It takes all kinds.

I even have a household project list, broken down into several categories. Categories like: Stuff I want to do, but will probably never get to; stuff I want to do, but it's too expensive; stuff we need to do, but are expensive; stuff that's cheap that I don't want to do; and stuff that has to be done regardless of whether I want to or what it costs. Nice, huh? I believe in practicality.

Sometimes though, a list is lost. You've gone so far away from the list it can't be salvaged. The stuff on the list doesn't even matter anymore or if it did, you don't care now for some reason. That's why it's best to always keep a list that is easily changeable. Or just rip it out and start over again. There's nothing like starting a new list.

There are some people in the universe that don't like lists, and don't see the value in actually making a list. That's ok. If they can remember all the stuff they're supposed to get done without actually writing it down, more power to them. I just know I would never remember everything if I didn't have it on paper somewhere. There's value in writing something down so you don't have to remember it. You just go back to the list.

So there it is. I am a list-maker. I make lists. For everything. The only thing I have left to say is..."Hi, my name is Superchikk, and it has been 4 hours since my last list."