# Home Alone



## lickcreek (Apr 7, 2006)

I had the house to myself a lot over the weekend. It's truly amazing how much I can do without distractions and interruptions!

I had a 3 day weekend, so Friday, after everyone left, I tackled my mudroom. I did it "Ninn's Way" ~ Thanks Ninn!! ~ by dragging everything that wasn't nailed down or too heavy for me to move by myself into the kitchen. Took down all the coats, coveralls, etc that hang on the wall, and started in. I wiped down walls, washed curtains and rugs, washed the windows, dusted everything, washed the windows, gave all the plants a good cleaning and watering, and then put things back one by one. There are still some things that need to be taken back to the Clubhouse, and a pile of DHs tools, and 4 small boxes of tomatoes that haven't completely turned, but I did manage to get rid of a whole black garbage bag of what I deemed to be trash. 

I then moved on to the kitchen/dining area. I got all the dishes done and put away, moved everything to one side and swept and scrubbed the floor, moved it all back and did the other half. Filled another trash bag! :sing: I got an empty Rubbermade container (huge) and put most of DHs stuff that he needs to sort through in it and piled the rest on top. There is still a huge mountain along one wall that is all his. So now he has 2 piles... one in the mudroom and one in the kitchen. But at least now I'm not tripping over all of it.

Saturday I was a little lazier, but I did manage to clean out some of the utility room to store the extra coats and coveralls that had been piled in the corner of the mudroom. Found my furnace filters!! Took out a sack of trash along with the rest of the "usual" trash and burnt it. And filled another trash bag with stuff that needs to come in to the dumpster. Did 2 loads of laundry (barely denting Mt. Washmore) and then vegged out watching movies. I had lost my momentum.

Sunday, I got up early, and felt great! So I tackled the living room somewhat. Took all the laundry upstairs. Moved furniture in half the room and vacuumed, dusted. Put away some camping things that had been piled right inside the door since last weekend. Made a quick trip through the mudroom and kitchen to make sure all my work had not been undone already! LOL. Gathered up 2 more bags of thrash for the dumpster. Gave myself the afternoon to myself and made 2 batches of soap I had been wanting to try. Cleaned it all up afterward. The family started trickling back in after that, and then I spent about an hour on the porch swing talking with a DFriend. But I didn't feel as guilty as I usually would have. House is far from perfect, but I knew I had accomplished something.

Monday it was back to work, but in the evening I tried to make a dent in the bathroom. With interuptions, all I managed was a swish of the toilet, and washing and rehanging the shower curtain. Didn't get to the laundry either. But I was proud of the fact that I got my dishes done before I went to bed.

Last night - Tuesday - I didn't get much done inside as I ended up cleaning up several of the garden beds (tomatoes that dropped were really starting to stink) so I got the worst one cleaned up and into the compost pile. Pulled some weeds and push mowed around most of the beds (raised beds). DDs boyfriend came home and had nothing to do, so he got out the rider and mowed 90% of the yard. :sing: I finished the front trimming with the pushmower, and did some weeding of one of the flower beds (still needs more.) Got supper, watched a little TV and off to bed.

Tonight has to be an early night because DH and I have health evaluations early tomorrow morning before work, so we will have to get out and about much earlier in the morning. Supper will have to be earlier too, since we are suppose to fast for 10-12 hours before the testing. I am hoping to get a few things done inside yet tonight (some laundry, some bills paid, and maybe part of the frig cleaned out) but this may be a bit ambitious. We'll see.

I am so sorry for rambling on and writing a book here, but I was so excited about what I got done, and I kept thinking about everyone here while I was doing it! I have found so much inspiration here, that I just had to share what you all had inspired me to do. 

I think I need the house to myself more often!!


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## Rocktown Gal (Feb 19, 2008)

I'm tired just reading that...lol

Great job. I really need to buckle down and get some stuff done myself.


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## lickcreek (Apr 7, 2006)

You know, it's funny. When you list it out like this, it looks like a lot. But it didn't really seem like it. Sure some of the scrubbing and furniture moving was real work. But gathering trash, dusting, doing dishes etc. didn't really take a whole lot of real effort, just time. Don't get me wrong, I was ready for bed at the end of the day! LOL! 

But thinking about it now, it's sad to think my house is in such condition, when the individual tasks themselves don't really take that much. That is if you don't have to move mountains of stuff before you can start. It took me probably 30 minutes to find my kitchen floor so I could spend about 15 minutes sweeping and mopping it. 

Maintenance should be my real goal, which would be quite an accomplishment since the other 4 people living in my house zero in on any empty level surface from floor to eye level and feel it is their duty to pile it up! :flame:


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## Jan Doling (May 21, 2004)

lickreek:
I know what you mean about those other people in the house working against you! 

Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a warehouse to stuff their carp in? Just think...every thing they leave laying about gets carted to the warehouse and filed on a shelf. 

Then it probably only take an hour to completely clean house, once the surfaces and floors were clear. Also, I need a small motorized vehicle that vacuums. scrubs, rinses, and then dries floors. I could listen to an MP3 while driving it around the house:rock:


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## MacaReenie (Mar 1, 2008)

Yay..congrats! Isn't it amazing how doing something....anything..can be so liberating? Even when there is still so much to do, it makes you feel like you are getting a handle on it and that you CAN reclaim your house! This time of year always gives me the itch for deep cleaning. I am working my way through my living room. So far have scrubbed the windows and sills, vacuumed the ceilings and walls (have high open beam ceilings) , and am tackling the bookshelves after supper tonight. Nothing better than sitting in a room that you have accomplished something in!


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## pinemead (Jan 18, 2003)

All I can say is "WOW!". You SHOULD be excited, and proud!!


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## moongirl (May 19, 2006)

pinemead said:


> All I can say is "WOW!". You SHOULD be excited, and proud!!


I second that!!:rock:


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## AlyCarm (Nov 12, 2008)

Very inspiring!!!!


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## lickcreek (Apr 7, 2006)

Thanks all! It's nice to share with someone who appreciates my tiny victories! 

Jan, a warehouse would be Wonderful! But knowing this crowd it would be full up in a week and overflowing into my house again! And when you find one of those vehicles, let me know. I'm afraid mine would need to be able to suck up the clutter first, before it could scrub, rinse and dry! LOL!

MacaReenie, way to go on the living room. I have SO MUCH stuff to work through before I could even REACH the walls, that, well... it's embarassing, really!

So, last night was so "out of order" that I can't post any real accomplishments. Supper was way early, because of the med evaluations this morning (10-12 hour fast required) but that did leave me plenty of time afterwards to get the dishes done. I got 2 loads of clothes folded and put away, and one load of DS's laundry dried. I found it in the washer when I got home  But at least he STARTED his laundry (a first!) and he did wash and dry the towels I had in the washer first. DD said he called her to find out how to start the washer! I also swept the kitchen floor, got the scraps to the compost pile, "tipped" about a half gallon of green beans from the garden, got our clothes ready for tomorrow since we had to get up earlier than usual, and that was about it.

It's no where near what I wanted to get done, but I think my "to do" lists are usually overly ambitious. I should be able to accomplish it all in an evening, but in reality, when I get home from work, I really don't have that much energy left.


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## pinemead (Jan 18, 2003)

lickcreek - take your own excellent advice! The medical evals are exhausting in themselves. Hope they came out great for both of you.


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## ihedrick (May 15, 2005)

For awhile in my house that warehouse used to be a trash can! If they left it out they must not want it.


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## lickcreek (Apr 7, 2006)

We won't know the med evaluations results for a week or so. They will mail them to us. The factory where DH works offered them free to employees and spouses, so we really couldn't pass them up. 

Last night was a bust in the house, with the exception of one load of laundry. Too bad, because I had most of the evening to myself again. I ended up spending most of the night outside, in the veggie garden putting the expired beds to rest. There has been a pick-up trailer full of composted manure setting there for quite some time waiting on a new bed to be built (have the timbers, but some need to be cut before we can put it together). So, in the interest of getting the trailer moved out of the way, and returned to our neighbor, I started piling it on the current beds that are done for the season and needed topped off anyway. I am also moving a huge pile of grass clippings that will be in the way of moving the trailer when it's emptied. (Why did DH have to dump 2 trailer loads of grass clipping right in FRONT of the gate when I asked him to dump them CLOSE to the gate? oh well...)

We will need to haul more manure before I'm done, but I really wanted it moved so I could mow and clean the area where it is sitting before the weather turns. 

It's looking like I should have a bit of "home alone" time again this weekend, judging by everyone's schedules. So Imy plan of attack at the moment is to try to finish cleaning out the trailer and garden clean up as much as I can tonight and tomorrow morning. After that I will tackle indoor projects. They are predicting rain Sunday and Monday, and who knows how long the weather is going to hold?

Wishing us all a productive weekend!


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