Tuesday, November 22, 2016

I've Put it Off for Awhile.....



Getting ready for Thanksgiving? Yes?

Me too.

I'm doing the usual stuff like making up the guest beds, thawing out the turkeys - yes turkey pleural - and simmering the gravy out of a pot of giblets. But I've had a cleaning bee in my bonnet for ages and I've decided to add one more task to my getting-ready-for-thanksgiving schedule. All of the kids have moved out of the house ages ago yet I haven't cleaned out the bathroom vanity that they all shared. Yep. Six drawers STILL holding contact junk, a zillion different types of hair styling goo, brushes, hair dryers, hair straighteners, hair curlers, makeup, makeup brushes, and more half-empty bottles of nail polish than I cared to count. Among other things.

Yikes.

It was time to roll up my sleeves, grab a handful of garbage bags and clean all six of those drawers out. But since I had no idea what the kids wanted me to save, this required extensive texting. Thank goodness for smart phones with cameras.

When I sent this picture, not one of 'em would claim this delightful item:


They all sent back the same response: "EWWWWW. Not mine"

I suspect one of them is not 'fessing up to ownership of a fifteen year old retainer. 

As I made my way through the drawers, we played the same game that we all have played for the last twenty five years or so: Keep it or Pitch it. I'd send a picture of something, and if I could get one of them to admit owning it, made them decide if I was to throw it out, or put it aside for them. 

I told them that if I didn't get a text back after sending the picture the thing would go in the trash. Bam. I warned them that their mother was getting ruthless over here. My son texted back, "Just make sure not to throw out my shaver and shaving cream."

I rifled through the remaining junk in the drawers. And, of course. No shaver. No shaving cream. 

I am proud to report that after lugging out two garbage bags of junk and scrubbing out years-old layers of hair products and hand lotion, every one of those six drawers is sparkling clean.
Whew. 

I think I'm too exhausted to make any food for Thanksgiving. But I'll send all of our guests into the bathroom to admire my work. 

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!  



3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Congratulations! Big job, well done!

And I enjoyed reading that you were simmering giblets for gravy. Mine are also simmering on the stove. None of my friends around here (Northern California) do this or even know how to make gravy, but for me, it is an important part of the turkey ritual I learned it fro my Ohio-born Mom, who learned it from her Nebraska-born Mom. Can I have Thanksgiving on Wednesday? Can't wait.

Glad to hear you have the energy for this, and hope it keeps on going.

Nicole said...

Happy Thanksgiving, Julia!

I am staying home today before going to my sister's tomorrow. They have been sick and I wanted to give it another day for the germs to clear out. Plus my body is just not feeling up to the extra socializing with their other guests. For the first time since I started teaching in August I have enough time off to rest, to spend time with family, AND to catch up on grading and lesson planning. I would say that's worth showing up in time for the leftovers!

Hugs!

Liz J said...

Happy belated Thanksgiving to you! That retainer is really "gross"! OMG!!!! No wonder no one claimed or wanted it. Cleaning out "stuff" feels really good doesn't it? We have been moving items in our home to start setting up for Christmas, and thinking.....do we REALLY NEED THAT? It looks so good without it.....LOVE checking in with you. You always make me smile :)

ShareThis