Springtime rituals

Why is it that cleaning invariably involves making at least as big a mess as I started out with?

I mean, it’s spring break. Therefore I am trying to do my Spring Cleaning (which involves shoving everything into slightly different piles, dusting everything, and claiming it’s cleaner).

today I’m working on my desk, which is huge. It’s got shelves, it’s got space for my computer. It has little rolling units for the CPU and filing and whatnot. I also have a filing cabinet, but it’s jammed full of paperwork.

The upper shelves are mostly taken up with action figures, the rest of the shelves are crammed with all sorts of things, from books on how to use various programs to my dictionary and thesarus, to my budding Rolodex.

Now, my method of cleaning goes something like this:

1. Turn on computer. Connect to internet, download email.
2. Pick stack. Sort through and throw half of it away. Put the rest in Things To File stack.
3. Read email. Reply to several messages, including at least one from the bf that will take upwards of 15 minutes to compose.
4. Select another stack, repeat #2.
5. Surf web for 10-15 minutes.
6. Shift all action figures from upper shelf to desktop. Dust. Come up with new display arrangement.
7. Read more email. Reply to several messages, preferably old ones.
8. Select another stack, repeat #2.
9. Consider new filing system for CDs. Implement it halfway.
10. Repeat #3.
11. Repeat #2.
12. Compose long, rambling blog entry.
13. Stare at desk, irritated that it is not clean yet.
14. Stare at clock, be stunned by time.
15. Rapidly clean everything else off desk until all surfaces are clean but covered in slightly tidier stacks of stuff.

I can’t decide if I’m amazingly productive and a skilled multitasker or just easily distracted.