Who's got The List?

In the last two days I've been getting things done on the very, very, very old "honey-do" list. Washed both cars inside and out, washed all the first floor windows, washed the recycle bin, washed the trash can. Fixed a burner on the range top that hasn't worked in three years. Fixed the window blinds which Robin started as a project three years ago - three of them never fit properly. Suddenly I'm Mr. Fix-it. It's not like I've gotten no maintenance done over the summer - just it's been more focused on things that had to get done.

When I was washing the windows I had looked at the recycle bin. We'd always kept it in the kitchen before, but the last two and a half years it just got really disgusting - a sticky residue had built up on the bottom - so it's remained outside for quite some time. As I was cleaning it I noticed the city trash can was looking kind of gross, and you know it didn’t smell very good either (I mean really, really didn’t smell good) so I started cleaning that also. Halfway through the trash can I start laughing. It's not that these things have suddenly become grosser than they used to be, apparently it's that someone used to do this job and when she left she didn't provide a list of all the things she had been doing around the house. :)

I'm actually been having fun getting chores done. I even gave myself (literally) a round of applause for getting the blinds done. I'm sure Robin's rolling her eyes and laughing at my self congratulation - after all, anyone could have done this. But for me it's been a long journey to this step. The blinds on two small windows were two inches too short. Last winter I'd stuck some white copy paper along the bottom of the windows to block those last two inches. Now, they're fixed. Done.

I've been finding the work meditative. It's nice to find myself engaging in maintenance activities again. Of course, if I hadn't already been so busy this summer I could have gotten more done!