Life's Good

Some people describe me as a bit crazy and I resemble that remark! Woke up early today and got more done before noon than I have in a week. Freaking Georgia weather has turned again. It was in the seventies this past Sunday. Tonight's low is twenty three. I got lucky this week and have two days off in a row. Another server called me around one wanting to know if I would work for them? That'd be a negative, Ghost Rider!

I took TJ to work at ten and headed to Walmart. I wish their groceries weren't so cheap, but they are and so am I. It wasn't too bad today. I would have gone Krogering but needed a filter for my furnace, weather stripping and a couple of other household items. One thing you can say about ole Walmart, it's one stop shopping.

For the first time in months all the laundry is caught up, folded and put away. Zach keeps his room neat, he's freakish about it and is one of the things I love most about him. The other two Lost Boys, not so much so I just keep their bedroom doors closed.

Tonight's task is dusting, a chore I absolutely abhor. Amazing how much easier it is to endure when you enjoy a lovely adult beverage while you do. I can't just dust, I have to carry a bottle of Murphy's Oil Soap around with me to get down to the actual furniture. I detest doing it but sure looks better when it's done. Too bad I have three big dogs who feel the need to shake their coat like crazy every single time they get up to move from one spot in the house to the next...and don't even get me started on the slobbering faces.

My new best friend (until I take Johnny Dear out of hibernation) is the Mr. Clean magic eraser. I'm here to tell you, they ARE magic!

Thanks to my sweet sister who totally redid my kitchen,  inspiring me to attempt to get the rest of my house in order as well and not to brag, but recently updated my Facebook status: "My house is so clean it smells like we only have ONE dog."

Put a giant roast with potatoes, onions, carrots and celery in the crock pot around noon so dinner's done.

Icing on the cake is I have tomorrow off too. The kitchen is full of groceries and we have plenty of dog food. That's all we need for me to not have to leave the house until work on Friday.

Classic Cotton story: I came home from work day before yesterday and walked into the kitchen. The blinds from my back door were in a broken shambles on the table. The plastic frame which made it look like our back door had individual panes was broken into a million pieces from the middle down and all over the floor. One of the Lost Boys came home and asked him what the heck happened? He said he took Ziggy out back to play with and left Charlie the bulldog in the house. He heard Charlie whining at the back door (Chally2Phat doesn't like being left out) and came back inside. Charlie had destroyed the blinds and chewed off the plastic frame trying to get outside. For Pete's sake, does it ever stop? I cleaned up the mess and headed to Lowes with one piece of the frame after measuring the door.

Whadaya know...they don't sell just the plastic frame but can order one. I asked if it was expensive and the Lowe's dude said "Naw!"

I considered $56.00 VERY expensive so just stopped by Walmart and bought another three dollar blind for the door. I went home and tore the rest of the chewed up frame off from the middle down. I lowered the blind to cover the top half still with fake panes and called it a winning solution. These dog's better be glad I am such a pup lover.

Tim's in the running for a wonderful opportunity with a new company and have all our fingers crossed, praying it works out.

Life's good.

Life's what you make it. It can BE bad,  but if it isn't bad every once in a while, how can you tell when it is really good? Needless to say we can tell around here!

Massey has applied to be a camp counselor this summer along with her room mate. There will be some lucky little girls if they hire those two and I have a feeling they will. She's really grown up this past year and couldn't be prouder of her.

Life's good.

For the first time, I've started to realize I'm the momma of three grown ups now. It's a pretty amazing feeling. I guess that nurse at the hospital was right when I went to take my first one home from the hospital after giving birth and told her I was pretty nervous about taking care of a newborn. She patted me on the back and said "Honey, don't worry none...they're HARD to kill." I just shrugged my shoulders and said "Okay then, let's put him in the car seat and take him home."

Life's good. If you wake up on this side of the dirt, call the day a success.

Til next time...COTTON

Dang My House Smells Great!

It's no mansion but it's ours and will be paid off in a little over three short years.

I used to keep  the yards immaculate but working so much lately, have let them slip a bit. I still mowed  the yards and trimmed them with the weed eater but the days of pulling weeds for hours on end fell to the wayside. I've always worried more about the outside of my house, mainly because neighbors driving by can't see the inside, and when it looks real bad inside,  won't answer  the door unless you have a no knock search warrant.

Lately it's been looking REAL bad. My hundred day work week pretty much demanded house work be put on the back burner and just focused on making it into work every day.  It helped  that Massey left for college in August and it was just me, Tim, Zach and the three pups here. Most males could care less what a house looks like on the inside as long the TV, refrigerator and microwave work...lucky for me, mine did.

The laundry got done but rarely folded and mostly sat piled in baskets.  The only clothes I needed for a hundred days were my work uniforms, underwear and a towel.

Around thirty days in, I learned quite a few tricks for a working mom. NEVER turn on an overhead light, especially if it is florescent. Always have tea light candles to burn tarts from Yankee Candle and buy store brand Febreeze in bulk.

 Sometimes Zach  would get a wild hair (or maybe a dog hair in his mouth) and do some vacuuming.

The dishes got done, but only when the boys ran out of cereal bowls. It seems to never occur  to men to clean sink traps, I thought maybe they were saving up enough food for a meal and let it go.

The bathrooms were the worst.

Number one, Zach and Tim have had penises their entire lives but obviously never mastered the craft of a direct aim. Number two,(no pun intended) I've never had a penis but pretty sure if I did,  I could hit a bowl over a foot in diameter less than two feet away. I just started peeing in the dark so as not to notice  their poor shooting skills.

The showers were even less of a problem. Zach had his own bathroom and if he didn't mind showering in a cesspool, who was I to stop him? I did keep my garden  tub pretty semi / clean since I am the only one who uses it but Tim's shower stall turned into a horror house. If I had to use it when I was running late for work (more often  than not) I felt like wearing  flip flops and would have, if Ziggy hadn't chewed up every pair I owned.

So this past week, after working every single day since mid August I had three glorious days off...in a row!

Number one (again) I slept twelve hours straight. Number two (again) I bought a really big bottle of cheap Pinot Noir, and got my scrubbing groove on. I had plenty of cleaning products since I hadn't cleaned the  house in a hundred days.

It was a daunting task but have never been one to shy away from a challenge. I started with  the thing I hate most...laundry. What's the deal with socks and how do they always get lost? I folded all  the laundry in baskets, folded all the laundry piled on the dressers and put all of it away.

Now we're getting somewhere!

Got all crazy and pulled sheets and comforters. Even washed the pillows. (although when I was little momma always said to lay them in the grass outside overnight) I'll have to Google that wives tale.

Number three: Mr. Clean Magic Erasers are the bomb dot com. I cleaned walls and I cleaned baseboards. I didn't actually move any furniture  but the spots you  can see look great. I cleaned doors and I cleaned window sills. I used four the first day.

Cold weather is rearing its ugly head here in the deep south so it's time to switch  the ceiling fans from  blowing down to up. Lesson  learned, never do  it until you clean the blades.

I cleaned my vacuum cleaner after every  room I vacuumed. I sprinkled Arm & Hammer Pet Odor over all the carpets  and the results were astounding. (and embarrassing)

The more I cleaned the more I saw that needed to be cleaned. Let's clean this window, let's clean this door, let's clean this  intake vent and let's clean this furniture.

I was in the mode and the mode felt great. After five hours I  quit smelling dogs and  that was another inspiration.

So I'm a hard working woman, I'll accept that label but  I've been a terrible wife and mother. My momma would have fainted if she had witnessed  the despair I had left the inside of my house in.

Lucky for me I only live with men now and are all straight. A gay man would have fired me on the spot.

It took me over three days to get my house over/semi clean but looks and smells wonderful.

Even my three dogs look happier.

Here's the big thing. When my kids were younger I would give them chores. They always did a half a** job but at least  MY job was half done after they attempted theirs.

I came home from work today and felt wonderful to walk into a house that didn't stink.

So I was a crappy house keeper for three months, but the house is still here and on top of it all I cooked a fabulous meal. Tim put the roast in the crock pot when I left for work this morning and I came in (home) as the pinch hitter and made gravy, rice and corn muffins and even threw together a green bean casserole.

All's good here at  the Cotton Compound. The house is looking and smelling clean, I've drafted yet another letter to UGA about Ham and his eye surgery and waiting for a reply.

It's nice to not gag when you walk in the door...just saying.

Til next  time...COTTON

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


 

Made it Another Week!

Just got home from work and boy my dog's are barking, and I don't mean my three pups. I mean my two callused, bunioned and corn ridden size six worn out dogs I used to call feet many years ago.

Anyone who's been a server for decades like me can relate. Serving is rough on your body but brutal on your tootsies. I wear excellent shoes now,  which my sweet sister gave to me, and couldn't even imagine how my feet would feel if still wearing the Wal Mart work shoes I wore for years. The great thing about Danskos is they look good with jeans, a skirt or even a dress. They are my "Go To" shoes and of course with Ziggy my chewing pup around now, are the only shoes I have left. I used to have two pair of tennis shoes but have been missing one of  each pair for months and have yet to discover where he took them.  I have a couple of pair of heels but with feet in my condition, shoving them into pointed toe shoes which leave my bruised heels three inches off  the ground seems like and IS unnecessary added  torture and  don't mind being almost five foot four one bit!

Lately, especially after reaching the half century mark other parts of me have been falling apart as well. The arm I've used to carry dishes on for almost thirty five years is (as we say in the south) "Wore slap out." My wrist gives out all the time and my  finger prints burned off back in the eighties from  cooking pizzas while a manager with Johnny's Pizza. Thankfully I've never been arrested or booked but would find it hard to believe they could raise prints off my fingers. I still have scars up and down each arm from  slinging pizzas into an oven set on 500 degrees for fourteen years. Needless to  say I don't have any hair on my forearms either. I do have hair on my legs, but that's because I am lazy and the stubble helps keep my work tights up.

 I could shave my legs with my work tights on but don't want to put a run in my tights, they cost me a buck ninety nine at  the Sock Shoppe. Heck... I could cut 'em with scissors but they keep me warmer in  the cold winter months and skinny women need all the warmth they can get. I mentioned this entire line of reasoning to my husband one time. He sat silent for a moment and then simply said with a slow shake of his head, "Babe, you  really know how to turn a man on."

I am pleased to announce (which makes me look even sadder) the thing I thought was a tick, then a mole, then a skin tag on my upper shoulder turned out to be a zit. I was elated!

You just never know when you start to get older, how much the little things will make you happy. Tim got up  for work a few minutes ago  to head into work  and came downstairs to eat. I handed him my glasses and said to look at the spot that has been bothering me on my shoulder. He said, while standing in the kitchen in his underwear scratching his crotch... "Looks like a zit. It's got a head on it, just pop it" and continued to warm up some leftovers.

Getting older isn't pretty sometimes, but beats the alternative. Tim and I have been together over a quarter of a century. We started out dirt poor when TJ was two. We worked our way up to over six figures while having two more kids.  We had a great life for years and years, then hit the skids.

We survived the skids too, with so much help the U.S. government should have contacted us to see how we managed , wanting to incorporate our method of survival into their own.

In the grand scheme of things, I'm doing okay. It hasn't been easy but there are tens of millions and then some who have it a whole lot worse.

My marriage has taken a hit, my kids have suffered through the hit but both are things that can be fixed. Tim and I still love each other and are committed. One day it will be easy street again and hopefully will look back and both say "Remember when..."

Having this new job has eased my stress level tremendously. Two days a week I don't sling plates but instead sling my forte'.  (my PHD in BS)  I can talk like nobody's business and after thirty five years of selling food know how to talk to people and  make them feel good about buying a product from me.

Four days a week it's food, two days it's furniture.

I can't begin to tell you how much my tiny little body and worn out feet have enjoyed this change.

I have tomorrow off and what the heck, have decided to clean my house. It's more disgusting than my legs and feet. My thinking of late has been  I have a seventeen and twenty year old living here and if they don't mind living in  filth while I work two jobs, who am I to help clean the hovel?

I can think back years ago when I would clean the house. They were all babies.  I would bust my ass for eight hours and then sit back with a glass of wine and breathe in the smell of a clean house. It smelled and felt delicious.

That's my goal for my day off. To sit back tomorrow night, look around my house and not be disgusted.

I'm a realist...if I get halfway there it will be a total success!

Til next  time...COTTON