House Cleaning!

With John gone I promised to be domestic goddess extraordinaire. Now I wish I had taken a before and after picture. I had added incentive because Geral was coming for a visit. Everything had to be done by Friday morning. It is amazing what you can accomplish when the SO is not around.

I will not be earning housekeeper of the year anytime soon but this is ridiculous!!!

A glimpse of the Jato-Briginshaw living room at the height of disarray!

I had my list all set: (picture my list on stenographic paper) It is not the best image but I am new at this.

With list in hand I set off to do the daunting tasks using TV as my reward. Monday went Just fine except for the "throw away all old magazines and newspapers" part. Tuesday wound up being take out the trash and "Tarjay" day (for those who know Target is cheap chic). I have to say the living room was looking good! Anyway I was too tired after spending at Target and racing some guy at one of the traffic lights to clean too much and besides I worked my butt off Monday so I needed a break.

By the time I was in the drugged stupor of exhausted sleep Monday night, I had 3 boxes of "to be sorted" for John and the living room was sparkling like the teeth you see on the Orbit chewing gum commercials. Well, not quite sparkling but you get the idea when you think of then and now. The living room table is clear and to my greatest pleasure, there is no paper on the living room carpet. I am not too sure Lord Briginshaw will be too happy with me when he gets back but But hey, I did not throw away not a single one of his papers. Please note the double negative for emphasis on what I did not do.

On Wednesday I had to catch up with what I should have done on Tuesday so I went into high gear! Energizer bunny Janet cleaned all of the kitchen -- all the kitchen counters and and stove are spotless. Even mopped the floor! Cleaned both upstairs and downstairs bathrooms and put a load of towels to shake their hearts out in the washer and tumbled to dizziness in the dryer. The Swiffer and its wet and dry cloths earned their keep. Too exhausted to think straight and could barely decide on what to watch on the Tivo I went to sleep. Imagine me in bed at 11pm!!! I am a midnight or 1:00 am kind of gal.

All night I dreamt of the damage I would do on Thursday. Got up, put on a head tie (head scarf for those of you who don't know what I mean) and some jeans, hopped in the car, and headed to the local Starbucks for a coffee fix and breakfast. Now I realize why I miss John. He does this run almost every morning when I am at home. Now I have to deal with being polite at 8am -- uncivilized! You know, I found out no-one wants to talk to my sorry behind in the morning either. Fine!

Since I have some free time before my next meeting and I can't seem to wrap my head around the 25 page spec document I have to read in preparation, I make a bee line to the bedroom fold all the towels from the night before and start on the second bedroom tossing the sheets in the washer and the like. As I am doing this in a small daze, I am daydreaming about the Dyson vacuum cleaner I just bought. I can't wait for the thing to arrive you know the ads with the funny looking British guy that says "...the only vacuum cleaner that does not lose suction..." or something like that.

Sorry Babe (John), I know you hate the noise that the vacuum makes and everything that vacuuming represents but I could not help myself.

Yukiko would be proud of me I have been looking at one and researching for about 4 months before pulling the trigger. I even gave myself all kinds of reasons why I should not buy such an expensive bright yellow vacuum but everyone who has one, that I have talked to, raves about it and considering our allergies I had to get one. You notice I got one when John was not around ... but with names like "Animal", "Ball", "Slim", "Root 6" how could I resist? And remember that I was planning to be domestic goddess extraordinaire and how could I be all that I could be without the ultimate vac? I was sensible I bought a refurbished one.

Well, we'll see about its suction power and hypoallergenic nature tomorrow. I can't wait to toss my 12 amp no-good DirtDevil!!! With a name like that you would think it would pick up more stuff from the carpet. I remember many a time during vacuuming trying to pick up a wayward piece of shredded paper on the carpet and nearly burning out the motor in the process. Then I would be reduced to my hands and knees picking up by hand what the vacuum failed to do. http://www.dyson.com/range/range.asp?sinavtype=menu

By the way, John and friends called me on Wednesday to tell me how much they missed my not being in England. They all said it was too bad I could not make it and asked me what I was up to. I excitedly told everyone I was l cleaning!!! They must have thought I was mad! I was thoroughly psyched by my progress. John did make a mention about not throwing away his papers. After a 4-month sejourn on the living room table, they are all in neat boxes, darling, waiting for your arrival Saturday.

Oh yeah, Geraldina called Thursday and will not be coming over the weekend. I am bummed but I got a clean house in the process. Let's see what John thinks when he gets home! I wonder how long he will let it last ...?

All I have not done are the "Clothes?" and "Goodwill" on my list. Since I will be having no visitors this weekend I can go back to my procrastinating ways -- maybe Saturday I'll do it.