Thursday, December 14, 2006

Bad Housewife Warning

I seem to have my dance card filled from now until the 22nd when I stop working for the holidays. On top of that, it seems that all the guys working on our extension want to finish up their jobs before Christmas. This suits me. I'd like it all to be finished.

In the midst of all this business, young George is munchkin number two in the school's big Christmas production. This involves ferrying him to and from school - extra trips as his school is 12 miles into Lockerbie.

I've let the house slip lately with all this busy stuff going on and today, being Thursday, Jill (our cleaner) showed up. The house was buzzing with an electrician, the plumber and the joiner (carpenter) all doing things. The carpet was rolled back in the front room and the floor boards were off. Big channels in the wall in the hallway were being cut for a thermostat. This made great piles of plaster chunks and dust. Jill couldn't get on with what she normally does. H asked her just to focus on the kitchen and clean out the fridge. In hind sight, we should have just given her a week's reprieve.

There were a few things in our fridge that should have been thrown out and some things with definite pathology growing on them. It turned her stomach. When cleaning the fridge, she was so disgusted that she may never come back.

I'm busy. I would have cleaned the fridge if I had five minutes to consider it. Now I feel not only slovenly, but judged by my cleaner and found lacking.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have that song, "She works hard for her money!" playing through my head now. Hehe

Tink

Anonymous said...

I'm so neurotic that I couldn't have a cleaning lady because I'd have to clean my house before she got there so that she wouldn't think I'm a slob. *Sigh* I really should get professional help.

Kell

Anonymous said...

www.tilt-to-clean
To all those 'housewives' out there, there is a new product that will make your cleaning easier and quicker. I feel the same way about having a maid, so I get stuck in. Floors are my job. Got tired of moving the lounge furniture around every time I wanted to clean the floor. (We have a German Shepherd). So I came up with the 'tilt-M'.
The 'tilt-M' is a universal tool that will lift your heavy lounge chairs off the carpet or floor so that you can clean properly. It takes seconds to set up and really makes the job much easier.

Anonymous said...

LOL You scared off the cleaning lady! We don't have one because I also figure that I would have to clean before she came and what's the point of that? Needless to say, my house isn't always the tidiest as I have so many other things I would rather be doing...like blogging or watching the grass grow.

Jay said...

The only way I could have a cleaning person come in would be if I went through and made the place pretty darn spotless to begin with. And then I still couldn't stand having someone mess with my stuff.

Anonymous said...

i thought EVERYBODY tidies up just a little bit before the cleaning person comes.

ma

Anonymous said...

Ah yes....Tis the season to be jolly!

Munchkin #2 huh. Well you tell George to hang in there and do good in the play. Then next year maybe he can be Munchkin #1!

And I am afraid I am a lot like Jay when it comes to the cleaning lady. Plus, even if I were to bring in a cleaning lady, I am one of those who would have to clean the house before they got there.

Vanity....where will it end?

Peggy said...

Tink - You're great

Kell - cleaning for the cleaning lady is defeating the object

Peter Jennings - stop spamming me!

Susan - I like the cut of your jib.

Jay - Have you always had trouble with people touching your things? You might think about going to a Buddist temple and meditate about your attachment to earthly things

Mom - I only pick up the undies and damp towels before the cleaner comes. The rest is down to her.


Alan G - perhaps if I were a little bit vain, I wouldn't have disgusted the cleaner

Joe said...

It's a strange phenomenon. My mother-in-law spends hours getting her apartment clean for her cleaning lady. I don't know if its some sort of guilt for employing a cleaner, or what.

We guys, we'd probably clean up for the cleaning lady if we were going to hit on her...

Anonymous said...

You remind me of my mother-in-law who would clean and tidy up before HER cleaner arrived ;)
She too was charming!h

Anonymous said...

Your house sounds like mine has been...only under much nicer circumstances Peggy. Good luck with getting all the work done before the holidays...I'm in the same boat....waiting for my furnace man to come next Sat. to put new pipes and valves on my furnace. That's cutting it close. Happy Holidays...and don't worry about how your house looks now...it will be fine. That's a lesson I've had to learn lately.

Dogbait said...

Gradually catching up. I've just finished your last 26 posts!

Peggy said...

Welcome back!