Two classes

In an effort to make my apartment less attractive to mice, I've decided to get rid of all the shoe boxes in my closet and instead store my off-season shoes in plastic shoe containers from The Container Store.  While this is, of course, more expensive than using the boxes the shoes came in, they will provide a less mouse-attractive environment, as well as look more appealing.

After I got the containers home (I purchased eight to start with, but will need more), I decided I would put away all my flimsy, strappy summer shoes (sigh).  But before I could put anything in the boxes, I had to peel off every last single bit of the labels that were on the boxes.

This reminded me of the two types of car owners I see in Chicago: people who fully remove one city sticker before applying a new one, and people who have a collection of city stickers on their windshield.  For those of you who do not live in Chicago, in order to be a legitimate Chicago car owner, you have to pay $75 for a yearly city sticker (I think the price is dependent upon the size of your car...I pay $75) and if you live in a high-traffic/congested neighborhood, you get a neighborhood sticker for an additional $25, which means that only people who live in your 'hood can park their cars after 6 p.m. (I live near Wrigley, so I have a neighborhood sticker).  The City of Chicago got smart this year and combined these stickers into one, but before I had two stickers on my car.

I am a person who looks at the removal of the previous year's city sticker as serious business.  I get every last morsel of that outdated sticker off my car before I will apply the new one.  I even have "Goo B Gone" or whatever it's called to aid me in this important endeavor.  See, I don't want anything unnecessary on my car, not only for aesthetic reasons, but also for safety...having a collection of stickers is distracting.  I have some friends, however, who literally have four years worth of city stickers lining up the side of their windshield.

I'll just say it...if I see multiple stickers on your windshield, I'm probably likely to assume that your car is a bit of a mess.  Try as I might, I still judge.  See you in hell!