good to know

"Even the most flatulent human being only produces about half a liter of methane a day."
BBC reporter Justin Rowlett, quoting Professor Jamie Newbold.

space and stuff

After a lot of thought, I've realized that the vast majority of the time I would be fine with just the kitchen, the bedroom, and the bathroom. My laptop currently is in the dining room, but I'm about to move it (and the upright keyoard) into the kitchen. I don't use the printer much, so I'll leave that where it is. When I'm home, I eat or drink (most often hot water in the latter case) almost constantly, with a cut-off time of 8 PM. If I'm going to drop popcorn on the floor or spill water (or worse, soup), it might as well be in the kitchen where it's easier to clean it up.
That leaves most of the house as a massive storage unit, except on the rare occasions when there are visitors. A lot of what's here is furniture, including chairs and sofas that are almost never sat upon, and a piano that is used more as a display space than as a musical instrument. (the holiday cards are still arrayed on it).

I really like having everything accessible, though, even if it's something I use only occasionally (it would be harder if I had it at a distance in a locked unit, although that would be OK for seasonal items). One of callyperry's other friends did a massive cull before moving overseas, and is now preparing to cut back even more in order to live in an RV. She's really missing some of her stuff, and is worried about
storing sufficient books in a small space. I've very sympathetic.