January 24th, 2019

Last night was a seemingly endless storm.  We were pummeled with wind, rain, thunder and lightening  during all of what were supposed to be our sleeping hours.  How could anyone sleep through that?

The thunder didn't just boom, it boom shakalacka'd.  The lightening flashed like papparazzi at a red carpet event.  The wind roared and snarled and the rain battered the heck out of everything.  There was very little actual sleep going on last night.

This morning I got up to gloom and a gentler rain, with my eyes gritty from not sleeping.  The photo above is from my front garden this morning. Everything is Very Wet!  My newspaper, despite the protective plastic bag, was soaked.  It's currently trying to dry on the countertop.  Nothing much is going to dry today in this dampness though.  And that is a shame because my plan for today was to do a thorough house cleaning.  I don't imagine that the floors will dry well today.

When I say a thorough house cleaning mean really thorough.  The one I only do occasionally.  Like when company is coming. Or just before showing a house to be sold  (not this house....I mean historically).  Or when Tim is away.

Not sure why it is that it's something  I always itch to do when Tim is away but every single time there it is.   The BIG cleaning mood comes upon me. The kind of cleaning that takes all day.  The kind where I actually move things instead of just cleaning around them.   The kind of cleaning that involves lots and lots of steps.

First up is to dust everything starting at the top. So that means hauling out my step ladder and cleaning the top of the fridge, the ceiling fans, light fixtures, art work and the working my way down to anything horizontal.  And when it's something made of wood, like coffee tables, first I dust, then I polish.  And not just the surface either.  The sides, the legs and all of the little grooves.  This step also involves thoroughly cleaning bathrooms, polishing the countertops (there is this fancy arsed granite polish that works very well but I don't often use except in these instances) and even cleaning the toaster crumb tray!  Like I said, Thorough!

Once all the dust has been redistributed, (lets face it, we never eliminate it, we just move it around) then I sweep.  Every floor, which means moving furniture. So I suppose actually I move furniture first then I sweep.  The sweeping  part is to get up the little bits of shell or gravel or leaves that the vacuum flatly refuses to have anything to do with.  Which means  next up is to vacuum.  All of the floors. Side note here, I do not like to vacuum.  It's not that it's difficult, it's that I don't like the noise.  To counteract the noise, I sing while I vacuum.  Very Loudly!

Vacuuming is followed by not just washing the floors, but scrubbing.  Luckily for me, I no longer have to do that on hands and knees.  Tim bought this thing called a Shark.  It's a VERY loud machine that, when I push a button, sprays a cleaning solution on the floor and then it shudders and shakes while I push and pull it back and forth, very slowly around and around and it honestly does do a terrific job of cleaning all of our tile floors.  But again, it's VERY loud.  Meaning I have to sing more. Still very loud.   I don't have a specific playlist for my singing while cleaning.  I sing whatever song comes to mind.  All that is required is that it be sung loud.  Doesn't even have to be in key.  Just loud.

After Sharking every single floor in the house I then have to wait until the floors are dry to put furniture back so that I can then vacuum the area rugs.  But since today is such a wet day with more rain expected, it's gonna be a lllooonnnggg wait for dry floors.  Perhaps I"ll give myself a pedicure while I wait. Heck I could probably give you a pedicure while I wait too. And then read a book.  And then learn a second language.  And then build a garage.  And the floors will still not be dry.  Sigh.

Never mind.  Change of plans.  Joy is coming over. We are going to head out to run some errands, have some lunch and a few laughs.  I guess I should change clothes.  I look like someone who is about to clean house which is to say, I look terrible.  I'm wearing yoga pants that were too long so I cut off the excess length.....unevenly.  And one of Tim's old Marine corp tee shirts. And my worst beat up sneakers.  Yeah. I'm a picture.  Ok. Gotta go make myself look presentable.

Oh this is much better plan!  Yay!

Always open to opportunity. That's me :)