Imacs, email and stuff

I recently bought an Imac. I started my personal computer life as an Apple person. In the late 80's I bought an Apple 2C. When that died I took up with PCs for work and at home. So this step back into Apple is a big one.

Getting used to this Imac isn't that hard. There are some things that seem to elude me but I have my trusty Imacs for Dummies guidebook and I'm getting along.

I discovered that big isn't necessarily better with this computer. I bought a 27 inch monitor. Wow it sure is impressive but if I try to use the whole screen I feel like I;'m at a tennis match swiveling my head from side to side just to read. I'm learning to use the screen for a number of windows - email on the left, firefox in the middle, twitter on the right, skype in a corner - the ultimate multitasker!

But this Imac is sometimes obstinate. I have had trouble installing and using Thunderbird which is my mailer of choice. It installs, finds all of my email files and then frequently seems to disengage.

I wonder if it is the sheer volume of emails I have sitting on the University's server - at this moment it is 9317.

I also have 107 folders (many with subfolders) of older emails that I think I need to keep. The oldest email that I can find is from 1999

My office is full to overflowing with books, papers, files, binders and more stuff.

I have a t-shirt in my closet at home that I bought when I was in grad school in 1976.

Why on earth do I have all of this stuff?

I'm not a collector - I don't go out and try to complete sets of whatever or buy more and more of something because I want to 'collect' whatever it is.

It seems that I am incapable of throwing anything out!

I am convinced that I will need something within days of throwing it out, or that I will lose enough weight to be able to wear that t-shirt again, or that I need the email trail for my memoirs.

I have a feeling the t-shirt from 1976 will never fit again, that if I haven't used something since 1999 I may never use or need it again and that my memoirs will never be written by me or anyone else.

A belated new year's resolution - get rid of stuff - get rid of a lot of stuff