Confessions of a fraud

I’m a total housekeeping fraud. My living areas which Other People see look pretty darn good despite two cats who shed their weight in fur weekly. Pretty floors, nice paint, nice artwork, no clutter at all. Kitchen always ready for cooking with no dishes in the sink or on the counters. Dining table wiped down regularly. Oh yeah, it might take me just 10 minutes tops to have it ready right now for people to come over and hang out.

Just don’t go ANYWHERE ELSE in the house!

Not that anyone loves cleaning chores. OK, scratch that, there are some people who do truly LOVE it. At least, I’ve heard of them. I kind of ‘get’ it. I always love the end product when I do rid the house of excess cat hair and kitty litter and leave the kitchen counters clean. I can get on a roll where one chore leads to another and music is playing and I’m getting into it. But, I don’t *look forward* to it for sure! And try as I might I just cannot get on a regular schedule. The closest I get is this time of year when it is not too hard to fit in a weekly downstairs floor cleaning/kitchen counter wiping/laundry day.

And by laundry, I mean, getting it just to that point above. Folded and in the hamper, but…not put away or hung up. I have an unreasonable blind spot of annoyance about taking that last step. I need to be MORE annoyed by the hamper not being there to handle the incoming dirty clothes than I am by the actual task! Hey, I said it was unreasonable!

Also take note that the weekly chores do not mention bathrooms or cleaning upstairs. Not that my room is a pig sty but considering the pressure we put on our kids to clean their rooms, well….both boys rooms are typically in much better shape than mine. (Oooh, except for SB’s since it is still a tornado zone from his final night in town. Yes, I am a slacker!)

My bedroom is the dumping ground. The laptop desk that I bought and loved and used for 5 months or so? Up in my room. The pedaling machine that I bought and loved and used for about a year? In my room. The ugly end table that was a freebie almost 20 years ago that I always hated yet never got rid of? In my room. Miscellaneous crap that I can’t seem to find a place for or decide it should be thrown out? Yeah, you get the gist. You see, I only go in there to sleep, so I kinda don’t care. Oddly, I DO make my bed every morning. Go figure!

And bathrooms? Well, I have really and truly NEVER met or heard of anyone who loves to clean those! That mine is the cleanest in the house is nothing to proud of. Again, the annoyance at the sight of it has be greater than the annoyance with the chore. And it’s getting close right now 😉

So, feel free to come on over and flop on the sofa and have a bite to eat. Just don’t go upstairs and, um…leave when you have to pee ok?

Until I win the lottery (or my kids stop spending what I have) so I can get a cleaning lady, there are just some things always left undone.