Amazing Days (off), How Sweet They Are

These last three days have been amazing. Number one, I worked from mid August until early November without a single day off.  My end at  the mattress gig couldn't have been a greater blessing. After my last day there had to work nine more days at the restaurant but then had three  days off...in a row!

My first day off I slept til noon and then got up to tackle the house. It's taken three days but have forgotten how clean a house can smell when it is "De-dogged." My only daughter has flown the coup to college and am left home with two men and three male dogs. That means I live with ten balls who could care less.

My first day off got me a little down. The house was disgusting. My husband and son probably wanted to complain but knew better. Lucky for me, the dogs don't speak English.

I started with the job I hate the most, matching socks.  It took me over an hour to match what socks were left after the other ones seemingly walked away.

I continued with the laundry mode and after three hours had most of it caught up and put away.

I started with the kitchen on the first floor and worked my way up. I scrubbed the sinks and scrubbed the  traps which are in the sink. I think I heard one of  them scream when I doused it with Ajax, but took that as a good sign and kept on going.

I moved out of the kitchen into the dining  room and was disgusted by  the smell. I know we have three dogs but who told them THEY could take over the smell of my house?

Momma got busy again. Note to all, when cleaning carpets, Windex is a wonder worker...even the store brand.

I wore myself out on the first day but got all the way up to the second floor of the house.

I had promised my daughter I would ride into Atlanta and visit her. It happened at  a great time. I got so lucky at work Monday night. I waited on two tables and made over $95.00. Add in my other tables and I walked with enough money to catch up all my bills and have some to spare.

I was taking her and her roomie to lunch and had talked about going to  the Varsity. On the way into downtown Atlanta I started thinking about Mary Mac's Tea Room. It's a blast from the past and and a really cool place to go, home cooking at  its southern best.

The girls were so sweet. They pooled  their money for me to park and come up to their room. Parking ain't cheap in Atlanta. You pay six bucks to park or get your car booted for  two hundred.

I usually always pick Massey up by  the curb but it was nice to go up and visit. She has a wonderful roommate and when I see them together,  reminds me of the bond I had (and still do) with my own roommate at  college.

They were thrilled about going to Mary Mac's and we had a blast.

I ate like a boss and it felt wonderful. I took the girls to an Atlanta iconic restaurant and we had an absolute blast. We walked through the place after we ate looking at all the pics on the walls. Former Presidents and even the Dalai Lama ate there, although the girls were more impressed that the Beiber had.

 We left the restaurant and  told the girls we would stop by a drug store to pick them up any items they might need.

What I needed to do  was read the street signs. I took a wrong way turn up Piedmont when it was one way and after Massey hollered at me, calmly said "I'll just back up onto this sidewalk and turn around" which I did.

Could have gotten a ticket, didn't get a ticket. All's well that ends well.

I blew almost a hundred  bucks but was well worth it. We had us a fantabulous day.

Came home and continued my cleaning frenzy. Here's the thing. You get side tracked by the Internet.

Of course I thought it was so funny that I had to share it with  a few friends and showed both Tim and Zach. This couple was so cute, it really made my day.

After a few minutes I resumed my cleaning. Here's the thing, I have no idea who invented the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser for walls but they obviously owned dogs who slobber a lot. I cleaned all the walls in the kitchen and downstairs hall. I cleaned the chair rails and walls in the dining room and cleaned all the doors as well. I knew Tim or Zach would never notice, but "I" did and it felt great. I went through four erasers in no time. I even did the base boards.

Now feeling truly inspired I moved up the the next floor and tackled the living room. I spot cleaned the carpet with an old towel and windex. Note to self: NEVER choose light blue carpeting if you have kids or dogs.

Took my vacuum cleaner apart,  washed and cleaned all the parts and filter and it ran like a champ. When you have three dogs, it's rough on a vacuum. Cleaned the blades of the ceiling fan, it's almost time to switch the direction of the fan and will sling dust everywhere...been there done that.

Sprayed every couch, sofa and chair with  pet deodorizer and cleaned every table and window sill with Murphy's Oil Soap.

I'm embarrassed to say it has been months since I have cleaned house. I mean if I knew peeps were coming over I'd shove crap into closets, light a scented candle and dim the lights. In my defense, working almost a hundred days in a row  gave me a free pass.

But I had three glorious days in a row off and after a twelve hour nap came out swinging a dust rag like nobody's bidness.

The more I cleaned the better I felt. The better the house began to smell the more inspired I became.

It helped that Zach and Tim weren't home. Zach was at  work and Tim was helping out at  a freight company. I'd open a bottle of wine and get busy as soon as they both left at night.

I'd take breaks and check out what everyone else was doing on FB and add my own little comments, then get right back to work.

The dreaded bathrooms were a bit tougher. They were in desperate need of attention.  We have three bathrooms and I used an entire can of Comet and two bottles of cleaner just to get them looking good...and then I felt even better. I cleaned Massey's bathroom first since she'd been gone since August and was the least disgusting.

Then I cleaned Zach's. He's a boy and could care less unless the water stopped running hot. I know he's got a penis but he's had it for over twenty one years and obviously couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with it. I cleaned the toilet seat, sides of the toilet and the base surrounding it. Geez, he's a terrible shot.

I scrubbed his shower and tub and even hung fresh towels for him to throw on  the floor. But man, it felt good!

I took a break from bathrooms and cleaned all the intake vents on the ceiling. I knocked down cobwebs I had considered Halloween decorations until it turned mid November and even wiped every window sill and mini blind.

By this time I also had all the laundry caught up. I do laundry but tends to pile up clean in baskets waiting on someone to put it up, which rarely happens around these parts. I made it happen  and even hung all jeans and shirts on hangers and put them all in their rightful closets. GO ME!

I tackled our bathroom last and it was a beast. I cleaned all the bulbs above the double vanity which were covered with dust. I scrubbed both sinks and the counter sparkled. I moved on to the garden tub, which only I use so gave it some tender loving care.

The shower stall, which Tim uses was ridiculous. I can't believe he hasn't died from a fungal infection or at least complained about it. It made a camp shower stall look like a five star resort.

It took me an hour, squatting "Nekkid" armed with two bottles of cleaner and a scrubber. All my nail polish and half my nails were gone when I got through but  looked so  good I grabbed a bar of soap and took a shower myself!

Woke up this morning and felt like a champion, and was. The house smells and looks wonderful. Even Tim and Zach have commented on my handiwork.

Even  my dogs seem happier.  Maybe they got sick of smelling themselves too.

Then the downside of all my cleaning reared its ugly head when I went back to work tonight. My  right shoulder (on my scrubbing arm) was absolutely killing me. I had a hard  time even carrying plates and  hurt so bad I almost felt nauseous. Lucky for me, I had excellent tables and tips. After waiting on two four tops I had made sixty bucks. I walked (limped) out with Ben Franklin and a couple of buddies holding me up.

Even luckier for me I still had one 800 MG Ibuprofen left from when I was sick last year. I stopped by  the store and bought some Epson's Salt and fixing to go relax in my huge, clean garden tub. It's actually so big that the hot water runs out before it gets full so I'm boiling a five quart pot of water on the stove to add to it.

Getting old sucks but it's a fifty/ fifty suck. Yes my right shoulder is killing me, but my left one is fine. Yes I have carpal tunnel in one of my wrists but the other one is still strong. Yes I have one bad knee but could hop on the other leg all day. Yes I have hot flashes that could start a forest fire but when it's cold outside, they keep me comfy. Yes I've been a horrible house keeper the past few months but only live with two men who are too scared to complain because they both know I'd wring their necks and never cook them a home cooked meal again.

My dogs don't care...well maybe they do but find it hard to bitch, they're all three male.

Tim has a wonderful opportunity coming up in  the next couple of weeks and seems we may be coming into a great turn around and maybe even a move.

At least my house is ready for the celebration.

Over the past four years it's been a roller coaster ride and sometimes even when we seemed derailed  kept our seat belts on and prayed we'd finally smile when the ride was over.

I'm ready to fling my arms up in the air and scream "WOO-HOO!"

Til next  time...COTTON