Even the cat is sleepy
It was one of those Clean ALL The Things weekends. (If you've never read the comic that inspired that statement, stop now, go read it, and then come back here.)
After a bench scraper, lots of bleach, elbow grease, and the passage of time, my kitchen is no longer a disaster zone. I had to resist the urge to lie on my countertops, to attempt to cuddle with them.
- Spiced peach butter is in progress. (Currently too much cinnamon. I think it needs more peach.)
- A large quantity -- some would say "a mess of" -- hot and bell peppers have been purchased, for hot pepper jelly.
- A vat of Jody's black-bean-and-corn salsa was made.
Tenzing's opinion of the weekend is obvious:
Sunbeam acquired. Please leave.
and for those of you who haven't gotten to see him, which is most of you, I asked Jeff to smile for a photo with a cap sent from a friend:
(Check out that nicely-healing trach scar! The body's capacity to heal amazes me at times.)
I'm also flogging myself into setting up my Remember the Milk account again. I've been using NirvanaHQ for a while, and actually liked it, but its lack of repeating tasks was diminishing its usefulness to me. As an extra bonus, I learned that RTM not only supports repeating tasks** but sharing tasks between two users. I've started setting up a few tasks to share with Jeff, so he has an easy and non-obtrusive way to see what needs doing around the house. It will allow him to participate as he's able.
** Repeating tasks: it supports not one but two types, exact and fuzzy.
1) Exact repeats are things that you need to do on certain days, period -- like paying the rent.
2) Fuzzy repeats are things that you want to do regularly, but the world doesn't end if you don't do them on a specific day -- like changing the air filter in the A/C unit. When you replace it, then you mark the task as completed, and the next repeat is set up for X period from that day. (In this case, three months from that day.)
I have to do this. I hate the regimentation, but I don't have a choice any more. I cannot sustain a Clean All The Things every weekend, but many nights when I come home from work I am tired enough that I can't even think of what needs doing, much less actually getting it done.
I tend to think of it as bargaining. "If I do X, I can then enjoy Y." Sweep the kitchen and I can sew for a half hour. Clean the litterbox and I can finish a TV episode. That sort of thing. (Surely I'm not the only one who does this.)
I think Tenzing had the right idea, though. Hook up with a sunbeam and zzzzz.
If only zzzzz led to a clean kitchen...
Note to self: wear gloves when seeding the peppers tonight, and consider using the food processor to mince them. Your eyes will thank you, Amy.
Comments
We have a long tradition
We have a long tradition around our house of the "One Hour Project." After the kid's go to bed, we spend one hour on whatever project wer'e trying to make progress on and then we spend the rest of the evening doing something enjoyable. It would seem like an hour wouldn't amount to much but at the end of the work week you've put 5 hours to the project. Nearly a workday's worth of work! I'm still amazed that this produces such lovely long term results.
I love the Clean All the
I love the Clean All the Th!ings comic! That was fantastic. :-) I know that cycle well. Recently, I've hired a local cleaning service to deep clean our house once a month. I finally got enough piano students that I felt we could afford it and justify it.
It is so much easier to maintain an already clean house than it is attempt to get the things done (like laundry, dishes, etc.) and still have the time and energy to do more deep cleaning.
The rates vary depending on if you want the basic or deluxe service and the size of your house. Email me if you want the name and rates. They came highly recommended from a nurse we know here in Athens. (I think the service is actually based in Decatur though.)
Love,
Mary