Tuesday, June 24, 2008

happy Tuesday, everyone

That last post is going to be a hard act to follow.

Thanks to all of you for your kind comments and compliments! Also, go Mom for the job interview!

I am thinking it may have been successful. Here's why. Mom had been thinking of stopping by me and Dave's place yesterday, but decided to change plans and come this evening instead. But there was a phrase she used on the phone that didn't really click in my brain until after we'd hung up. She said "I'll come by tomorrow after work."
After work? That means there is a work for visiting to be after, no? :D

The apartment is once again, I regret to inform, a mess. Neither me nor Dave were ever especially neat housekeepers the other times we've dwelled together, in college or after. Dave for his part has had a long stay at chez Paula (how I refer to his mom's place) to get un-used to having to do all his own cleaning. As for me, living with Dad I had come to share his, let us say, casual attitude regarding a moderate level of grunge, grime and general disorganization. Being the woman of the house, however, means I feel a deep-seated yearning in my bones to make cleaning happen. Eventually. Sometimes I sit around watching cartoons at night thinking to myself, "Y'know, if laziness wasn't gluing me to my chair, it would be really keen to just sweep and mop the kitchen floor for a bit..." But then instead I go make myself some tea and assuage my conscience by just sweeping up the area around the cat food dishes with my hands, or some such thing.

We have been doing some rearranging. Well, mostly it's been my idea, but Dave is mostly happy to help and doesn't mind so much if I sit around and mutter about shelving and boxen and whatnot. Slowly, a few pieces of furniture at a time, or a room at a time, I will make the apartment easier to clean, at least, if not actually swanky. Paula found us a combination shelf set / entertainment center that somebody at her work was throwing away, so we were able to move the TV area onto the south wall of that little nook off the living room. The only downside is it's no longer possible to watch TV while sitting at the computer desk. Now if I can only think of something cool to do with the living room...

I even got some of my own stuff out of boxen and onto shelves, stuff that had been boxed up since before me and Dad moved out of Elgin! In a way it's disappointing to look at my shelves and realize most of the books I now have to put on display are my second or third-string literary preferences. Simply those books I bought on a whim and never bothered to read, that other people loaned or gave to me and I haven't gotten around to reading yet, or that I got for a class and don't expect to want again. I'm sure there is a larger amount of books I really like, or at least used to like, elsewhere around. Maybe I can do some book rotating this week.

In summation, it's an extremely weird feeling to have an apartment I can think of as "my place." It's more than not having a satisfactory collection of books to shelve, though that's part of it. Now I'm thinking of getting my own posters, my own rugs and throw pillows. My own (non-broken) vaccuum cleaner and blender!

Ach, I must stop with the posting and get to work. The pest control guy has been here spraying for fruit flies and I must go sign his work order to prove that yes, he was here and yes, he did spray for fruit flies. And there are many fewer than the last time he was here, so his efforts are not in vain.

I will post again soon! Hugs!

4 comments:

Julie Hedeen said...

Crystal 2 hours ago I posted a long post for you and when I went to post it, I got a message saying "sorry blogger not available now." Grrrr! I wish I'd saved it. Now I'm tired. but anyway, I think the whole watching cartoons instead of cleaning is genetic. I know you never saw it happen at your house, but I have my equivalent of watching cartoons (ask Jamie or Laura). I can waste a lot of time when I have papers to write or cleaning to do. But it is much better to clean in tandem--really! Next time I come to Illinois a fun thing to do is clean somebody's house--or apartment. You could volunteer yours! We have fellowship, we make jokes, and it all gets done so much faster. It's just harder to "get a vision" for cleaning when you're alone. I must taste your special brand of tea sometime. Now this time before I post, I will save!

Amber E said...

Hi Kiffle,
Yes setting up one's own living space is a very different feeling. You made me think of myself with the laziness. I will exercise and learn to speak a foreign language and study various things just as soon as I finish this novel....
I am glad to learn that you are acquiring sufficient shelving. Glad I got the change to say hi on the phone last night.
Muah,
Amber

Julie Hedeen said...

Hello Crystal, I hope YOU realized today was Amber's birthday. I thought it was the 29th (after all you and Pearl are the 29th, why does she have to be different?) I mailed her card ON the 27th anyway. Well, I hope you have the weekend off and that you get to clean, unpack boxes AND watch cartoons!

Amber E said...

Yes, I had a birthday of wonderfulness with mom and sisters. Love you all. Amber