Tag: Man Cave

Man Cave in Progress

Anecdote, Finding your Zen, Organizing, Record Collecting

Since elementary school, my addiction to music and the culture it involves has consumed much of my life. Which, for all purposes and interests consumes a lot of territory. It came to a boiling point shortly before I got married in 2001, that I sold all my first press hardcore punk records individually and used the money to finance a honeymoon in my wifes’ country of origin Japan. First off. Japan is without a doubt, the most beautiful country I’ve ever traveled. By all means. If you get the chance. Go there. By any means nessacary. Second. Don’t sell your records. Ever. I mean, unless your doctor just diagnosed you with an incurable dicease and given you less then a year to live. Even then, think hard. I mean think really hard.

Lucky for me.Throughout my adult life, I’ve had the space and later rooms to store and enjoy my music. As for that large collection I sold. Well, that two crates of LP’s and two boxes of 7′ EP’s have since been replaced and multiplied by crazy numbers. Even after selling ten boxes to a retailer before moving back east. My collection is a beast. My current home, much like my last four dwellings have had second bedrooms divided to records, cd’s, dvd’s and other monuments to my extended childhood. This one, a nerdist kingdom, if there ever was one.

Room to Grow. Part II.

Finding your Zen, Music, Organizing, Record Collecting

It arrived today. The chair of my dreams. The one I picked out myself. The one we had concerns would’nt fit through the door and have enough space to fit in the little corner nook we carved out. The one that slid right in the door without so much of a mark on the door before sliding comfortably into the corner we’d carved out for it. Now, with the exception of new records. The man cave I always imagined is done. All there is to do now, is sit back, listen, and ocassionaly, review records for my column.

Room to Grow.

Finding your Zen, Music, Organizing, Record Collecting

Throughout the last month, I’ve remodeled the study/record room while preparing for the arrival of the area rug (The wood floors have wrecked terror on my knees.) and the lounge chair. (Over the years, the office swivel chair has proved less than comfortable when spending hours in its clutches.) I also moved several Kallax record storage units. It’s not even close to as painful as removing and refilling the records albums within. (That took two days and was a harrowing reminder that MP3s and CDs are far less cumbersome.) Luckily, I got them all alphabetized and cataloged before the carpet arrived, leaving ample space for the chair, aside from soundproofing the room.
Which I don’t plan to do. My work it done. I’ve got another week before the new chair arrives. From there, I can fully take advantage of my man cave and spend my remaining days attempting to listen to all these records. Wish me luck, and don’t feel strange sending reminders to eat, sleep, and bathe. As I’m writing this, I received a message noting the chair I ordered will be delivered on Friday. My order of several new releases and a reissue is due this week, so I’ll have to put aside some time to enjoy this space in new and chill ways. Regardless, it’s going to get loud.

Creating a Comfort Zone.

Finding your Zen, Organizing

I’m often complaining that my apartment is too cluttered and there are too many things that are out of place or have never had one to begin with. Over the years I’ve often purged using the old TLC show Clean Sweep’s mantra of “Keep, Sell, Trash.”  However, as I’ve learned, no matter how much I get rid of. I basically have the same size apartment. Being that I do so much work from home it makes the apartment feel even smaller. A living room that doubles as my photography studio and a second bedroom that doubles as an office. It’s a juggling act to say the least. If things are out in the open or out of place it creates chaos. Having to deal with that chaos means I get less work done while spending more time doing it.

So today I got up at the crack of dawn and started erecting my own little “Man Cave”.  Moving furniture from one room to another while taking random frames off the floor and giving them the walls they have been missing for months. With a little hammering and finagling I created a wall Martha Stewart would be proud of. I cleared my desk to the point I could actually see the surface and created a little nook where everything was within reach. In the end, the only thing missing was a heaping cup of coffee just left of the keyboard. Though I’ll surely be tweaking it with different pictures and such, it is my little peace of mind that takes away some of the stress I feel when I’m sitting here doing what I do. Like the wise man said “Surround yourself with the things you love.” Soon we’ll be moving to a new place. I have visions of a room all my own with nothing but records, photography and all things geeky. A Geek can dream. Right?