I am absolutely not the kind of person who has a cleaning lady. I am not rich, don't have a big house. Getting old, but not that old yet. But I can't not keep up and it drives me nuts. I only need it to be average, not spotless. But it takes me so long to get one area done, then another, before I make it around the house, its all dirty again. Maybe if I moved faster, had more energy, less stuff, less hobbies, no pets, etc. it would be ok, but that's not the situation. So I have been thinking about trying to find help for a while.
Finally got the name of someone a former co-worker uses that she is happy with. That was probably a month or two ago. Took me that long to get around to calling. I don't do anything fast, and hate calling people. Plus I have been slowly working on some of the worst spots. She is supposed to come see on Sat. then start the next Sat. If she shows, and if she does not run out screaming.
I am so nervous about having someone come clean for me. Silly huh? I am embarrassed that I am kinda a slob with hoarding tendencies. That I have so much stuff I plan to recycle, or do crafts with. I don't kill spiders even in the house. That even though my bunny's are box trained, there are the occasional pellets on the rug, esp. when they have a spat. I make a lot of my own cleaning stuff out of non-toxic ingredients. I almost never use bleach, having a hard time even buying it again. But most cleaning people will not understand this. Esp. if English is not their first language. What to get for them? My grandmother used to feed her cleaning lady lunch. My usual salad probably would not cut it. I am such a hermit! Such a social misfit.
I always hear people say the cleaning lady is coming, they need to go pick up first. So I am not the only one. But for me its more than pick up. It can look like it has not been cleaned in a month. That's why I need her. But it can't look like its been a year.
The woman that I know that recommended her is very picky, and I am sure is very tidy. No pets, no messy hobbies. She pays her $50. Its not possible for one person to totally clean my house in 8 hrs. If she was able to do half once or twice a month for $100. I would be thrilled. I could spend more time on other things (like picking up) or the yard, or crafts, etc. I also have a very big fear that in trying to work fast, things might get broken. I have so little family that the stuff I have that belonged to them is super important to me, and can't be replaced. There is no point in having it, if some is not out on display, but it all has to be dusted. Carefully. I also don't want it to get back to this person I used to work with, how messy I am.
No, its not like the houses on Hoarders, yet...its like some of them were a year or two ago though. At least now I can use my hip for an excuse. Yes the pain is very real, and it does slow me down and make it harder to do stuff. But I was not able to keep up even before it wore out. Partly because I refused to stay home all weekend and work on it. Sat. fine, but not Sundays too. Now, since walking hurts so much, I am staying home more. But after I recover from surgery I would love to be out on Sundays again...without the thought of my house getting worse and worse.
I hope this woman works out ok. It would be a big load off my shoulders. I will keep you posted on this.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Breakfast
Its Sunday. For some unknown reason the local power company decided today would be a good day to do some maintenance on the electric lines. They sent me a warning letter that today the power would be going off about 8:30 and be off for up to 7 hrs. Happy Sunday to me.
So I made plans to go out to breakfast with a co-worker and her sister. We have not socialized out side of work before, but it sounded good. I wake up hungry and am useless until I have my tea. No power, no tea, and best not to even open the fridge. So we meet at her favorite breakfast restaurant. The Sunrise Cafe. I had never been. Its probably about 15 miles from me. It was like a movie set cafe in some small town where everyone knows everyone, and its the place to be. Interesting. The food was great, the service was great.
But my friend, T. grabs the check and no matter how many times I shoved money at her, she totally refused to take it. Yes, it was a very nice gesture. But....we make the same. Granted, she also has a husbands income. But it was not my birthday or any other special occasion. We do not normally do this, so no idea if I will be able to easily pay her back next time by grabbing check faster. If I even remember to bring extra money if there even is a next time. I could certainly afford my own breakfast and had every intention of paying for it. Yes, it was very nice and generous of her. But I am so uncomfortable with that. Why do people do that?
My policy is only if its a relative, or some sort of celebration, or someone I either have, or might some time sleep with can they pay for me. Otherwise, just let me pay my own way. You can be generous and pay the tip if you want. I can deal with that, but not my whole meal. I socialize so seldom I get very nervous before joining someone. But I think it went OK, other than the paying thing.
Then I tried to do some errands. Yeah, I actually accomplished some, but it was so hard and so painful. My hip is so bad. I spent all day yesterday doing house stuff. But what I accomplished should have been done in no more than half a day. Everything takes so much longer when I am in pain, and unable to bend. Some days are worse than others. Sometimes I know why, and sometimes not. There was no reason for yesterday to have been so bad. Today was only a tiny bit better. The pain just sucks the life out of me.
Then I went to a movie. It was about the time power should have been back on, but could not be sure, or take any more pain of trying to do stuff. It is my weekend. So I went to see "The Adjustment Bureau". I liked it. It gives you something to think about. Matt Damon is so much better and cuter than he was early on, I think. The ticket guy, Cory, was adorable too.
After the movie I went out for yogurt. I love the self serve places. I am always amazed at how fast it adds up. Its 39 cents an oz. Where is the cents symbol? How strange. Anyway I figure, I am not even filling my cup up, it should be like 3 something. But no...its almost always 4 something. A whole pound would be $6.24. So apparently I must be eating about 3/4 of a pound each time. That is amazing.
That on top of the breakfast place gives very large servings. Both my friend and her sister are bigger than me, but brought part of their breakfast home for tomorrow. I ate every bit of mine. Oink, oink.
6:30 Sunday night. I accomplished very little this weekend. And I now have about 6 weekends left before my surgery. Yikes!!! So much to do, so little time, and too much pain to function like a normal person. Lets hope I am less sore next weekend.
So I made plans to go out to breakfast with a co-worker and her sister. We have not socialized out side of work before, but it sounded good. I wake up hungry and am useless until I have my tea. No power, no tea, and best not to even open the fridge. So we meet at her favorite breakfast restaurant. The Sunrise Cafe. I had never been. Its probably about 15 miles from me. It was like a movie set cafe in some small town where everyone knows everyone, and its the place to be. Interesting. The food was great, the service was great.
But my friend, T. grabs the check and no matter how many times I shoved money at her, she totally refused to take it. Yes, it was a very nice gesture. But....we make the same. Granted, she also has a husbands income. But it was not my birthday or any other special occasion. We do not normally do this, so no idea if I will be able to easily pay her back next time by grabbing check faster. If I even remember to bring extra money if there even is a next time. I could certainly afford my own breakfast and had every intention of paying for it. Yes, it was very nice and generous of her. But I am so uncomfortable with that. Why do people do that?
My policy is only if its a relative, or some sort of celebration, or someone I either have, or might some time sleep with can they pay for me. Otherwise, just let me pay my own way. You can be generous and pay the tip if you want. I can deal with that, but not my whole meal. I socialize so seldom I get very nervous before joining someone. But I think it went OK, other than the paying thing.
Then I tried to do some errands. Yeah, I actually accomplished some, but it was so hard and so painful. My hip is so bad. I spent all day yesterday doing house stuff. But what I accomplished should have been done in no more than half a day. Everything takes so much longer when I am in pain, and unable to bend. Some days are worse than others. Sometimes I know why, and sometimes not. There was no reason for yesterday to have been so bad. Today was only a tiny bit better. The pain just sucks the life out of me.
Then I went to a movie. It was about the time power should have been back on, but could not be sure, or take any more pain of trying to do stuff. It is my weekend. So I went to see "The Adjustment Bureau". I liked it. It gives you something to think about. Matt Damon is so much better and cuter than he was early on, I think. The ticket guy, Cory, was adorable too.
After the movie I went out for yogurt. I love the self serve places. I am always amazed at how fast it adds up. Its 39 cents an oz. Where is the cents symbol? How strange. Anyway I figure, I am not even filling my cup up, it should be like 3 something. But no...its almost always 4 something. A whole pound would be $6.24. So apparently I must be eating about 3/4 of a pound each time. That is amazing.
That on top of the breakfast place gives very large servings. Both my friend and her sister are bigger than me, but brought part of their breakfast home for tomorrow. I ate every bit of mine. Oink, oink.
6:30 Sunday night. I accomplished very little this weekend. And I now have about 6 weekends left before my surgery. Yikes!!! So much to do, so little time, and too much pain to function like a normal person. Lets hope I am less sore next weekend.
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