Let me start by saying this is not meant to be a rant, it's just the cold hard truth according to Joanne...like everything else I write on this blog, I stick to "just the facts, ma'am." Perhaps I should clarify that statement...this is completely a personal issue and these are MY truths and they won't surprise those who know me well....here goes nothing, my big controversy of the day...I absolutely, positively can't stand doing housework!!! You weren't expecting something a bit more complex and thought provoking were you, like the national health care crisis? We are talking me here...it's the weekend, and I leave my thinking cap at the office where it belongs, and plus, I never ever talk politics. I've come to realize over the years, that if I over-tax my mind for more than five days a week, it starts to malfunction, and them I'm not good for anyone. So, I retire my brain each weekend, and wing it for two days, then on Monday (did I just say the "M" word during my 48 hour reprieve? I should be SHOT!), out it comes for its full 5 day workout.
That being said, this Saturday I had to knuckle down and tackle one of my other jobs, the one that there is no escaping from as weeks pass by, a full month has come and gone and the piles begin to take over....I had to do laundry....UGH and double UGH!!!! If you think I'm not a happy camper during the MMB, then my attitude on laundry day, runs a close second. So, I've created a few little diversions that help me get through this particular housekeeping task. Sometimes I'll put on soothing music and begin the sorting process...then pick up something to read during the washing process, and get myself a snack as the never ending drying process goes on into the afternoon. If I'm really being ambitious and find myself on a roll, the clothes may even get hung up and put away before my head hits the pillow at night. My track record sucks, rarely do I complete the entire project in one day...which is probably the real reason I start on a Saturday, so that I can at least try to finish by Sunday evening. However, the number one way for me to get through any Saturday morning chore....I call my mom on the phone, plug in my handsfree and we talk nonstop for a couple hours until either the laundry is done or I unknowingly have just cleaned the house, without dwelling on the reality of what I was actually doing.
Usually, the dusting and vacuuming can always wait, but when I start to notice that I'm running low on clean clothes for work, it's usually a sign to get out the laundry basket and head down the hallway to the washing machine. The problem, or maybe not such a problem, I own a LOT of clothes (but that's another story), which translates into one very obvious fact, I can go a long, loooong time without doing laundry. One quick clarification here, I'm only washing MY clothes...I trained Roger many, many moons ago to wash his own stuff. We don't have a washer and dryer inside the condo, we have a laundry room down by the elevator, which I never thought I would like, but as it turns out, I LOVE it. First of all, I'm not a big fan of obnoxious noise and those machines make a whole lot of it. Also, from a purely economical standpoint, we save quite a bit of money by not paying for the extra water and electricity, not to mention the additional strain it would put on our air conditioner to keep our place cool, if a hot clothes dyer was running for hours at a time (I've been known to do 4-6 loads in a day). It only costs me $1.50 to wash and dry a full load of clothes. It's a win-win situation for us...three washers, three dryers--no maintenance worries...it doesn't get much better than that.
How do I continually put off and avoid all this "fun"? The bottom line for me, housekeeping is just brainless work, and I have a difficult time concentrating on the task at hand unless I am distracting myself with something I enjoy at the same time. If I'm only cleaning and my mind starts to wander, I've gotten into the bad habit of talking myself right out of completing the chore. I can always find something I'd rather be doing...sorting through a stack of magazines I haven't read yet, I'll just sit down and begin reading. I know that the dust isn't going anywhere, when I eventually come back to it, it's still gonna be there.
Typically, when I was growing up, Saturday mornings were very regimented for all six of us. We were allowed to watch cartoons until a certain hour, and then it was time for the dreaded weekend chores. Our bedrooms were each child's responsibility and in addition to making the bed, they had to be straightened, dusted and vacuumed each week. Boy did I dislike Venetian blinds and have avoided them at all cost as an adult. As a parent, I allowed my children to keep their rooms in whatever condition that they wanted, I just shut the door and ignored it. That rule of thumb has had no long lasting ill affects on either of them, they are both much more diligent as adults in their own housekeeping routines, than I currently am. Let's be honest here, at this point in my life, I'm basically a very lazy person on the weekend, who can procrastinate her way out of just about anything. However, when the last few pieces of laundry are waiting to be put away (if I remember correctly, there are few items on the bed right now), I always feel a sense of accomplishment when I've tackled one of my least favorite things.
So at the end of my Saturday, when all is said and done...this is how it all breaks down.....new box of fabric softener sheets--$1.00....four coin-operated loads of laundry--$6.00.....2 hour telephone call with my mom--priceless.
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