Not As Lemony Fresh

I have been cleaning the past couple days. I'm not nesting. I just need to get things under control once and for final before the mess grows a life of it's own and devours us all whole, kicking and screaming for help.

I just wish the cleaning aftermath didn't smell quite so... chemically. I should invest in more natural cleaners.

I wish it would smell more like lemons. Or oranges.

The Kitchen is almost all ticked off the list. Bits and pieces of other things that needed doing here and there around the house are getting done too. It will be nice when I can sit back and not worry about deep cleaning that needs doing, because it has already been done.

Her Highness

Gypsy views herself as queen of everything. She is very indignant despite her skittish nature. Everything and everyone is here to serve her, even if the people are not allowed in her illustrious presence.

Older brother Canyon is merely resting cushion.

Experimentations

Despite the previous post, I decided to try doing something new this evening...

Strawberry marshmallows dipped in chocolate. Oh so very healthy.

At least they make me smile!

Expanding

I just weighed myself for the first time in a long time. It wasn't pretty. However, the upside to this is that it has solidified my resolve to not cringe when I think of the scale and use it as a tool in my personal challenge to become healthier.

Yes, I too made one of those resolves to become healthier. I figured I would not worry so much about the aspect of the weight, but focus on the healthy and strong aspect. I am going to be walking, hiking, eventually running, cycling (once the bicycle fairy visits), swimming. I am going to kick some arse!

Shrinking in pounds and inches would be a bonus.

Procrastiblogging

We've all done it.

Told ourselves it was okay.

Committed to work it out.

Later.

Procrastination.

That has been the word for today. And yesterday actually. If you recall I made a list of things that needed to be done. Not all in one day mind you, but I had hoped to cross off at least two or three things. I can barely call one of the things done. Well, yes, my house is a mess. It has a way of looking like it barely survived a natural disaster, but just barely.

We, the husband and I, however, have been working on that. Storage bins are a wonder. It's amazing the stuff that can be kept off the floor, raised surfaces, and ceiling fans simply by putting it into a storage bin! Hallelujah! The hallway is now cleared out, and the bedrooms have that to look forward to (see the previously posted list). With the other cleaning we have been doing, the kitchen monster is now whimpering instead of heaving its deafening roars. The bathroom goblins are close to extinction. And the living room, well, that's sort of a constant battle, just as easily won as lost.

However, instead of raising my battle cry at the top of my lungs yesterday whilst running headlong into the fray, I sort of muttered and schlumped slowly forward into the fringes. But, I did get a lot of the scary things that were clawing their way out of the sink defeated, and I believe I have all the dishes in check now. I even get a life mushroom for cleaning the microwave. Yesterday wasn't a total loss.

Today is sort of looking the same. I'll get things done. It will be slowly though, between blogging, reading blogs, laughing at blogs, and cruising through blogs.

And I didn't really want to get out of bed either.

Looking at little Jupiter so warm and cozy is making me want to go back to bed...

Because I'm Magically OCDelicious!

I have a thing. It's a thing for lists. I need lists. I discovered this working as a gas station attendant right after high school.

See, I am quite certain that while I was blessed with certain gifts (the ability to cry no matter what I am feeling and how much I don't want to, the talent to slaughter simple drawing paper with pencils and paints on occasion, etc.), our kind and gracious Father In Heaven opted not also bless me with much of a memory. And before you start, I KNOW you can work on that, improve your mental prowess by doing various brain exercises. However, my brain is about as lazy as the rest of my body.

Hence the need for lists.

I learned very quickly, from the aforementioned job, that if I did not write down everything I needed to do in order to have the store ready to close for the night, invariably I would forget something. Mopping the floor. Dismantling the soda machine. Cleaning the vile cesspit called the men's restroom (though I wonder if my brain was working on behalf of my olfactory senses on that one). And in forgetting to do that in a timely manner, I would remember to do it just before they demanded I clock out. Misers hated to pay over-time.

Now, if these were things to be done directly after closing, it would not be much of an issue. However, the majority of these things needed to be done before closing, and in needing to be open whilst I did this, it ensured that customers would interrupt with needing their $50 bucks worth of individually picked Lotto tickets and scratch-offs, four cartons of Marlboro Reds hard pack, and oh yeah, toss this magazine in for good measure.

My brain simply cannot handle maintaining a list while trying to count out change, watch gas pumps, and wonder what that shifty looking, pimply teen is doing over by the specially bagged 'naughty' mags.

It made life so much easier once I started keeping a list on paper. This continues to hold true.

This is my list for the day. Things that need to be done, things I want to accomplish, and some stuff I need to purchase at some point. I find that this sort of list helps me keep a little more focused on what is screaming at the top of its lungs for attention.

That and I also secretly hope that this will motivate the husband to know what needs to be done. Hasn't worked in 10 years though. I should give up on that. He does work on dishes frequently, and occasionally vacuums. I'll take that and run.

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On a side note, I would like to state that apartment living offers up many advantages, as well as dis-advantages. I can only assume the following people were doing this because of the apartment living dis-advantage of not having an actual yard.

Why yes, that IS a Lowe's cart with a cardboard sign taped to it saying 'YARD SALE'!

What's that?

Oh, yes, they are staked out roadside in the middle of a shopping/industrial area!