House Maintained, Blog Is Not

My intent here was to provide an accounting of my daily housekeeping travails in terms plain and un-entertaining. Somehow, I'm so busy with actually doing the things I should be recording here that I have no time to record them here. That kinda sucks.

This week was stressful as the divorce progresses. The clock is ticking for me, too, as I have to get my ducks in a row on many levels. Here is the meta-pyramid of my existence:

Work - provides money to do everything else
Daughter - fight with spouse over parental rights; attempt to keep kid interested in my existence
House - maintain cleanliness and order; repair infrastructure; buy food and supplies; laundry
Animals - clean up after them and what they destroy; feed and water them; clean their toilet
Money - pay bills; schedule budget; project where to allocate future funds
Credit - repair in anticipation of a house purchase
Investment - continue research in anticipation of future investment: held up by divorce
Me - yes, I am at the bottom of the list and I'm not lamenting it here: exercise, schedule dentist and medico time; keep space organized; write; plan my life already

That leaves little time for actual living.

I imagine that, after the divorce, there will be a whole new set of time allocations. It all depends on what's agreed upon or decided upon and that all seems to be mostly in the air. I really have no idea of what will happen.

I've been admonished to "make time." Well, I'm sorry, but that's the most ridiculous notion in human existence. If every moment is filled with "priority" tasks, how can one make time? It's not possible. Right now, I have to hit the head and run out to see if I can get by brakes done since they're scraping in the front. I don't even have the time to do this writing.

This week, I did this:

- Cleaned the tile floors downstairs. In fairness, my ex cleaned up some dog pee, too.
- Cleaned up two piles of wet dog poo - the poo was wet, not the dog - and cleaned the carpet in those areas.
- Organized my kid's room, folded all her clothes and hung up many, changed her sheets and pillowcase, put all schoolbooks in one place, picked up all the trash on the floor, brought glasses and cups downstairs, put her jewelry in one place, took out the dirty laundry, vacuumed.
- Vacuumed all three floors.
- Changed the cat litter
- Folded five loads of laundry and washed three. Another 2 folds and 1 wash is for today, somehow.
- Plastered the crack in the upstairs bedroom door wall (my bedroom) with special crack tape and latex plaster. This is a two-step job and that was step one.
- Set out the paint and tools to finish painting the upstairs hall and my room.
- Dusted all surfaces.
- Cleaned the upstairs bathroom - by the way, the drain is running perfectly now that I used that two-part Liquid Plumber. My kid has a lot of hair, apparently.
- Excercised: reps of sit-ups and free weight (25 lbs x 2) for the arms and chest. 4 out of 6 days, so not so bad. Did knee bends, but my knees hurt for two days after that - that can't be good.
- Checked my DVR for surveillance every night.
- Repaired my 285HV, so know I have a good off-camera strobe - yay!
- Had my DSL and phone line installed after a long fight (2 years) over who controls the phone and internet service.
- Pushed up a payment on my premier card so that it's paid off now.
- Paid a car payment, the electric, other cards, the insurance.
- Checked my postal box every day - it's on the way to work.
- Had a discussion with ex regarding settling: fruitless

Not Much, Yet

Today is my birthday. Since my kid was in sick from school, though she was just tired as it turns out and though her mother doesn't want to take her to the doctor for some bizarre reason so that I have to find a way to carve out more time from my daughter's school attendance in order to get her to the doctor to see what's going on - take a breath - I slept all the way through until 9:30 or so. I didn't put the dishes in the dishwaasher or clean the kitchen, but I did pick up poo and Shel had already mopped up the cat pee. Yay. So, I'll have a lot of work to do when I get in, I know I can count on that. I also know that my birthday has been forgotten by my family as, instead of wishing me a happy birthday, my STBX verbally assaulted me without mercy . . . nice birthday present, crazy f*ck.

I do recollect each birthday as nearly forgotten and I wonder why I didn't get it all sooner. Oh, well, that's for another Blog.

I sized up what will be waiting for me when I get home and I spoke to my daughter in the interim so I know there's a bit more than what was started out with since she's making cookies, which is how I know she's not sick.

That means I will have cookie trays, bowls, about 3000 utensils, chocolate to scrape off the bottom of a sauce pan because we don't have a double-boiler and I know she probably improvised . . . and the cat/dog messes. All that before scrounging something to eat as I did not make dinner and even had I done so, it would be all eaten or what wasn't eaten would purposefully be thrown away so that I would have none. Crazy f*ck.

So, we'll see. Another not so happy day at Chaos Manor. This next pendulum swing to the dark side I've already decided is going to be my last.

Tidy-Up Wrap-Up

View of X's space, which I don't touch as she goes totally
paranoid. Something's hiding in there, eh?

I'm sorry to say that I haven't had much time to record my keep-it-up activities since I've been busy doing them.

First, I want to say that I get no help around the house whatsoever. There are three cats and one dog, a child and a ne'er-do-well spouse I'm in the process of battling in divorce. The divorce has nothing to do with the fact that she's a vengeful slob. It's a control issue. For years, I stopped cleaning when she asked me because it "bothered her" and she "would do it" which she never did.

I didn't want pets. I assented to caged pets but my STBX didn't bother to help my daughter maintain them or clean their cages. The first cat we adopted was lovely and black, with long hair (that sheds only a little) because I fought and fought not to adopt a 110 pound dog. I knew that I would have all the work involved, I just knew it. But one cat . . . and promises were made to encourage my kid to clean up after the animal, feed it and water it. As soon as the cat made her home here, that was it.

As for my daughter's housekeeping, she tries but she has adopted most of her mother's habits. A neatly folded closet will be turned inside out in minutes in a rushed morning as she doesn't plan ahead though she's been admonished to do so literally a thousand times. She does not pick up after the animals nor does she walk the dog. She does not feed them or provide water even with reminders again and again. She uses the same excuses as her mother.

Animals in the house make for a lot of work, especially when the animals are cats that spray their territory. Before this house is sold, the cats will have to be adopted out and a professional will have to be hired to do a cleaning. I do try very hard, but I'm outnumbered, simple as that.

I have shifted most of my cleaning into the week rather than leaving it for the weekend. This way, no one is in the way and I leave a clean house every day. This also means that I clean at least two hours each day.

Today:

• Changed the cat litter, a big task and very nasty
• Powdered the basement floor with Pet Fresh (a good product) and vacuumed
• Cleaned the pool table of all clothes and vacuum all the corners wih the Hoover (not the basement vacuum)
• Vacuumed the filters and the outside surfaces of the Bissel (the basement vacuum)
• Sucked up cobwebs and other hard-to-clean corners with the Hoover
• Before all of this, struggled with the Hoover because something was stuck in the hose. I snaked it out with a cable snake three times before freeing up the path. All this while fully clothed since I am afraid to leave my stuff around lest something get stolen by my X - she does that.
• Laundered the two living room rugs - animal nastiness - and then brushed off any threads, hair, etc. This was hard work for sure.
• Vacuumed the living room.
• Re-covered the couch with the knitted throws.
• Folded the quilt that my daughter used to sleep with down there.
• Put away the quilt and pillows.
• Cleaned up cat pee and poo from the new cat's favorite corner. I use bleach-based cleaner and a special mop.
• Picked up papers and misc trash from the LR floor (obviously, I'm going backwards in this list)
• Picked up various items chewed by the dog.
• Picked up mail that was thrown on the floor.
• Cleaned the kitchen surfaces.
• Made coffee. Ate a muffin that I made yesterday at 11 PM at night.
• Loaded the dish-washer and ran the load.
• Turned off the excess lights and the stove light. I left that on by mistake.
• Let the dog out.
• Fed the animals; watered them.
• Removed the tablecloth and laundered that.
• Ran a load of laundry with the tablecloth, some pants, some undies.
• Fixed kid's doorknob.
  
• Placed that load in the dryer.
• Folded towels that had been run a few days ago and brought some upstairs. I'm tired of not having towels since my kid never returns them and instead leaves wet towels on her bed.
• Took the kid to school. She tried to blame me for almost being late. She's funny.

I'm sure there was more. There's always more. I don't mind cleaning, but I do mind cleaning unneccesarily. I am feeling pretty much like a maid at this point and that's okay, too, but there's no appreciation or help of any kind, even so that messes aren't made when they can be avoided.

Living room before tidying.

X's space, cleaner than usual. Note the overflowing trash bag.

Sink scrubbed clean. I need to re-caulk it.

Newly cleaned kitchen. All surfaces are cleaned and detailed.

LR mess before tidy.

Linen closet after re-organization, a weekly event.

Major Clean Up

I've been cleaning very thoroughly for quite a few months but today I think I really broke through a large barrier.

Yesterday: Wired Shel's ethernet. Big job involving snaking two wires, adding a switch, a box, going to and from the attic, removing ceiling tiles, getting hit with plaster that had separated from the ceiling and cleaning up the gigantic mess exploring the drop ceiling made.

Today:

- five loads of laundry, six of drying.
- Folded towels and sheets, placed in linen closet
- Folded all clothes - about 300 pieces. Yes, I counted. Hung delicates. Sorted where possible.
- Brought my clothes upstairs and put it away.
- Cleaned every inch of the basement of webs including under the stairs.
- Laundered two bags of unknown clothes that had been in the basement for months ("don't touch those, I'll take care of it")
- Bagged trash and took it down into the garage
- Bagged recyclables, paper and plastic separate
- Walked dog
- Made lunch, dinner, cleaned up after Shel's cooking
- Unloaded and loaded DW, unloaded when dry, put all dishes away, reloaded with new dirty dishes.
- Cleaned two pans by hand with scouring powder that didn't come clean in the washer.
- Put away pots, organized pot cabinet
- Set up auto-coffee for the next day
- Vacuumed the LR and steps, shampooed a portion of the LR, washed the runner
- Picked up something like six or seven piles of dog poo
- Talked on phone
- Tried to get wife to reply as to return time - never did but responded with bizarre texts
- Talked to kid
- Drank a lot of coffee
- Took a two hour nap
- Checked my bank account - dunned for a charge though I made a deposit to cover it IN TIME!
- Changed the cat litter
- Scooped the box after the cat's use
- Washed the tiles in the kitchen and DR
- Vacuumed behind the dryer and washer, all the vents and grilles and utility access gates
- Powdered the floor and vacuumed that.
- Put my clothes away

Much Work

Painted all day. Downstairs bath, all the wooden doors, requiring knob removal. Adjusted the attic door height. Tightened the pantry hinges, Laundered the couch blankets and prepped to change the litter. Painted the south wall on the steps requiring taking off then reattaching the small handrails. Washed the baseboards near the front and on the landing. Vacuumed. Sanded the top banister and made ready for poly. Cleaned up tools and brushes, rollers.Washed 2 switchplates and reattached them. Picked up D at midnight and made coffee for the morning. Also picked up the kid earlier. And went to Jeffereson BOA to make a deposit of $20 to cover a potential $38 charge from Lukoil. Took a 90 minute nap before picking D up. Changed the toilet flapper. It still leaks. Fed the animals three times. Got the mail from the box and gave Dawn her one letter. Vacuumed the attic stairs. They look more slanted to me. Many dead bees. Talked to S but worked at the same time. Washed the shower downstairs and was the floor there and in the vestibule. Cleaned and rehung the stairs clock. Picked up after the dog.

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Woke up at 5 AM to take spouse to the train. Fell back asleep as did the D, who lives in another part of the house.
Cleaned up dog pee and poop.
Heated up coffee.
Took pills (prescription and Ibu generic, I each.)
Let dog out.
Fed dog and cats.
Drove D to train as silently as possible. (Background: D was being friendly in order to assess whether something was wrong. I had come to the conclusion the night before that our relationship had been killed last November and that there was no effort to repair it, therefore, I will not be adding more energy to it neither will I provide a reason for abuse.)
Drove back from train and fielded two calls from D asking about whether car payment people had been called (since late last night). They hadn't and I said so. Second call - be sure to fill out the forms and give to the coach (which I did previously but they must have lost it.)
Tried to contact child via cell, no answer-not sure of practice schedule as I am not given the details from spouse after the child imparts same to D.
Arrived home, went in, worked on computer for about 45 minutes, answered e-mails.
Laid down for about 45 minutes due to late night and early rising.
Fielded call from D regarding bomb at work next door. There was no news report on this. She then became unavailable for three hours folliwng this news, not responding to two texts or two calls with messages.
Got up, heated up more coffee, returned upstairs. Also had a waffle with jam.
Worked on the computer until about 12 Noon.
Rested until 1:30, watching the Departed.
Contemplated a shower, but child had to be at soccer, I thought, at 2 PM. Worked on computer to access school website. Found and printed forms. Got child to be ready. Gave child a Thermos for water. Filled out forms.
Left the house arrived on time at soccer.
Went to ShopRite, spent $75 on food, $6 on wine. This took until about 4:30.
Returned to the house, boiled water.
Made ziti and sausages with onion and peppers.
Picked up child from soccer as planned per child's phone call at about 6:10.
Scrubbed melted plastic from the bottom inside of the large Farberware skillet with a drill, wire brush and stripping 3M pad.
Loaded dishwasher.
Spoke to D and texted no conflict.
Arrange to pick up WITH NO ARRIVAL TIME. Instead D told child to tell me, which allowed no room for discussion.
Ate a sausage.
Wrote this entry.
Washed my face.
Left for train to pick up D with child in tow.

Blog Start

This blog is a record of things I did around the house each day. I will try to be as thorough as possible.

So far, in the last four days, I've:
Pulled some weeds
Taken the gas can meaning to get gas for the lawn tools
Cleaned up dog poop morning and afternoon
Put away dishes and cleaned pots and pans
Cooked
Taken my kid to soccer practice
Talked to my mother and cousin (Friday night) and brother about a computer virus
Gone out to garage sales with my child
Gone over to my brother's house to see him and my mother and sister-in-law
Painted the trim in the dining room and kitchen white
Primed the garage eaves
Worked on fixing my computer
Talked to friends
Argued with a friend

That's all I can think of.