The kitchen drawer.

Babies change your life. For example, you need a lot more room. For baby stuff. And these days, there is a lot more baby stuff around than say, 25 years ago (when my daughter was born). Product development managers in babycare companies specialising in paper products such as wipes for both ends, liners for one end and many other products of various descriptions have excelled themselves in the last quarter century and forests covering at least the equivalent of several medium-sized countries have no doubt paid the price.

So I had to clean out one of the kitchen drawers to make room.

Here's what was in it:

2 large rolls adhesive tape.
1 large roll masking tape.
1 Tala icing syringe - tin - with fittings, made in England circa 1950. In original box. May fetch a good price on eBay.
2 Wiltshire Bar-B-Mates (barbecue all-in-one tools with angles and blades that go every which way and make you look like Edward Scissorhands so naturally I never use them).
1 Wiltshire Bar-B-Tongs.
1 Wiltshire firelighter lighter.
1 Wiltshire carving knife - unused in packaging.
1 dozen 15" metal kebab skewers.
1 Bosch gas stove lighter - not working.
1 pack bamboo kebab skewers.
1 wooden spoon.
1 Safeway discount fuel voucher - expired.
1 tea strainer.
1 timber-handled ball-drive rotary whisk - probably antique, eBay again.
1 wok spatula.
2 roast carving forks.
1 manual knife sharpener.
1 local council hard waste collection voucher.
Six batteries, 4 x C, 2 x D.
1 colour photo of Katie, our sponsor shelter donkey (click on Donkey Picture Gallery).
2 double adaptors for power points.
1 bottle opener.
1 Huro manual can opener.
1 rubber spatula.
1 reversible pump-action screwdriver complete with 3 interchangeable bits.
1 regular screwdriver.
2 expired driver's licences, one showing my 1984 photograph, the other 1989.
2 Vev espresso machine metal filters.
1 broken Esteele pan top handle surround (don't buy Esteele, the plastic bits break).
1 telephone socket adaptor.
2 spare wheel compartment retaining clips for Volvo 240 wagon.
1 x 1 metre fold-up ruler.
1 Stanley tape measure.
1 ball garden twine.
1 ADSL filter.
1 parking fine - paid.
1 10-function fold-up pocket knife.
Several plastic forks.
1 Wendy's plastic spoon (I've never been to Wendy's).
1 cactus design wine bottle decorative stopper, probably Alessi, (never used - why would you?).
1 bulldog clip.
3 foot length of cream sheer ribbon - good for wrapping gifts.
Several spare buttons.
A London bus (poignant right now) fridge magnet which my daughter brought home from Great Britain in 1998.
4 permanent markers, 2 ballpoint pens, 2 HB pencils and a red whiteboard marker (I don't have a whiteboard).
1 old toothbrush.
1 old picture-rail hanging hook, circa 1940s.
1 TV antenna attachment.
5 old kitchen knives, mostly worn down.
1 box souvenir matches from Dooralong Valley Resort, NSW.
5 more fridge magnets.
8 sets of 4 small safety pins (salvaged from fun-run numbers).
17 elastic bands and 24 twistie-ties.

That's just one drawer.

Three to go.