It feels so great to have almost finished organizing my taxes. Now I feel like maybe I could get around to vacuuming my apartment or doing the laundry that is really starting to pile up. It seems I cannot get those smaller things done until the bigger thing gets done. At least I have gotten better at the dishes lately. That is really because of the recent bug infestation in our apartment building. This is very rare for a place like this; someone thinks it was because when the former tenant moved out of the apartment below me he left the place kind of messy and had a lot of boxes around for a long time. I guess certain kinds of bugs, the nasty kind, can be brought in with those grocery boxes that are often used for moving. So, fortunately, I have only seen a few of these bugs, but enough to make me get hyper on the kitchen/dish cleaning more than I had been in the past.
I know housework is starting to get out of control when the chairs in my bedroom become stacked high with a random array of unfolded clothes. What is one to do with garments that have been worn once or twice, but do not yet need to be laundered? Is there a place for them? For me it’s a combination of two chairs, a stool and a wooden drying rack that moves around my apartment, but mostly lives in my bedroom. But seriously, what is one to do with that category of clothing? In fact, I have many piles of clothes in my room, as there are also those that have just been washed that never make it to the drawers until it’s time to wear them again. It’s not a big deal; I don’t know why I even care. I know where everything is and how many times it’s been worn but, still, it feels like a majestic dream to clear everything off the chairs and racks. And then there is the vacuuming.
Currently, I have a flying feather problem going on in my bedroom; little white flecks all over the floor. I think one time one entered my mouth while sleeping, causing me to panic that I would choke to death on a down feather! Well, sure enough I found the seam that split on the comforter, allowing all these innocent little feathers to spread through my room, intermingling with the regular dust that gloms in clumps on the floor. I’m actually grateful for those masses as they make it easy to see them when vacuuming. Vacuuming brings me incredible satisfaction, way more than clearing the room of clothing. But when is that going to happen? I can’t wait!
Backing up, I am in desperate need of cleaning my down comforter, only after sewing up the seam of course. How does one do this? I have googled it and I know there is the option of the dry cleaner; though it seems experts favor the tennis ball method in the washer and dryer. But they recommend a large front loader, which I do not have in my building. For some reason I hesitate to bring this to the laundromat, worrying I will not have the smarts to do it correctly and just make a scene. There is always the option of switching my comforter with a guest-bed quilt that never gets used. This solution remains to be elected.
The funniest thing about all of this is that the build up is so suspenseful for me. When will I do these things? I am so exhilarated upon the completion of any of these tasks, and over the top with the prospect of tackling all of them at once, yet never remember that once they are done they are by no means done forever. Depending on which task it is, the saga begins all over again, very quickly. The key, of course, would be to clean everything immediately. But that never happens. I don’t know which pleasure would be greater: seeing my home clean every other day or the grand elimination of piles and bunnies every month or so. I have a feeling I will never find out. Although, I have mastered one domestic hygiene; I now spray the shower every time I use it which has removed that ominous chore of ever removing tub walls of anything but shower water. This, my friends, is ecstasy!
Jill Eng 