Cleaning

Today I’m tired and more than a little irksome, and if this laptop turns itself off for no good reason while I’m in the middle of writing, it will feel pain.

I’ve been trying to think why I feel this way today. On the whole it was a pretty easy and quite enjoyable day. The sun was shining, I was only in school for one lesson and didn’t have to listen to Master Grumpy moaning as I’d deposited him safely at school. I had a lovely chat with a friend, via the internet, that I hadn’t spoken to in a while and even managed to get some rather dull household chores completed. Ah, maybe that’s it, jobs around the house. I know they have to be done, or do they? I already live with someone that has an OCD when it comes to cleaning, surely I don’t want to end up the same way? I don’t want to live in a pigsty but equally it’s not like the Queen’s likely to pop in tomorrow, and even if she was I’m afraid I still don’t think I’d feel the urge to sweep the dust from under the table.

Which brings me on to the floor under my table, not literally you understand, but about the fact that I have wooden flooring throughout the downstairs of my home. What a fantastic idea when I was looking after the small offspring of other people. Any little piddles or poohs could be quickly and easily cleaned up with no fear of staining the carpet. There was one boy in particular who only ever used to come round after school, and while he enjoyed his drink and snack, he somehow always managed to knock his squash over. Not a problem, well, it wouldn’t have been had he told me before I heard it dripping from the table on to the floor. Oh, the good old days.

And so now that I no longer care for the little people I do sometimes wonder whether I would like to return to the warmth of carpet. This dilemma is made harder because with the wooden floor I can see the dust and have to sweep it up, with a carpet I wouldn’t see it and may be tempted to leave it an extra day before I vacuum. Would I find myself ankle deep in carpet bugs before the week was out? The bonus may be that there’d be no need for slippers, bugs and carpet, mmmm, nice.

I guess the reality of it all is that while I live with this OCD crazed cleaner, it isn’t really an issue, apart from the fact that when he’s working and I’m here I have to do a little I suppose. So we’re back at the beginning, the cleaning makes me miserable. Don’t suggest hiring a cleaner, too expensive, maybe I’ll just start wearing my sunglasses in doors, whatever happens, if you ever pop in be certain I will always do that funny thing that we all seem to do when we want to hide something, point it out....

“Oh don’t look at the dust under the table, haven’t swept up today!”