Still awaiting the final proof. I’ve been in a horrible mood
for days, moldering around the house, moody and irritable. My dog looks at his
leash longingly but today I’ve decided that the house needs major cleaning—this
must take precedence over our usual daily trip to the Columbia River.
I’ve found that many chores have been forgotten during my concentration on getting the book done. For instance
there is dust on every available surface, including baseboards, tables, and
window ledges. The bedroom smells like dirty dog—a trip to the groomers is
definitely in order. Poodles need regular
haircuts and Buddha is looking shaggy and smells like pond scum.
Underneath a pile of papers in my office I find unpaid
bills, to-do lists and an earring I’ve been missing for several weeks. Muddy
footprints lead the way from office to kitchen to bedroom. In the kitchen I
stop to make a cup of espresso, noticing the sticky stuff on the counter—hummingbird
water? While cleaning it up I see streaks of something on the fronts of the
cupboards and grab another sponge. In the bedroom clothes are stacked high on a
chair in the corner…as I begin to sort through them I’m amazed I’ve lived like
this for so long! Normally I’m fairly organized—cluttter drives me around the
bend.
I hear the washer sing its little song to tell me the load
is finished. When I get to the laundry room I’m astonished by the stacks of
clean towels, dishtowels, and bathmats. No wonder there’s nothing in the linen
closet. I load the smelly comforter the dog has been sleeping on into the dryer
hoping that it’s really clean. With our new low water use washer I’m never
quite sure. Unable to face the time it will take to put things where they belong I
head back upstairs empty-handed.
I know I could spend an entire day on the kitchen alone but
I’m determined to make a visible dent on the house today and so I head to the
living room carrying the vacuum. Although poodles don't shed, the cat does and there are dust bunnies under every piece of furniture.
Walking by my office a few minutes later I’m pulled to sit down and check
e-mail. And of course while I’m here I have to do a little bit of editing on
Book 2. And of course write a blog…
