(no subject)

[mamadeb]

Did not fast today. The raging headach and dizziness at 10AM kinda told me "Bad idea."

I'll put up with that on major fast days, but not on minor ones. My doctor is unhappy about me fasting in general, anyway.

So, instead, I cleaned my kitchen. Because I have a cleaning person coming on Thursday. Oh, I didn't clean out my fridge or clean my oven or even wash the floor, but I got rid of a lot of junk. And made my stove top less embarrassing. I'll do the same in the other rooms of the house, and clear off (or get Jonathan to clear off) the dining room table. That is, I won't vacuum unless I need to, but I'll put things away and leave room for actual cleaning. And I'll make the bathroom less embarrassing.

The problem is, if I can do that, why do I need a maid?

My answer is, if there's someone coming every week or two to do this job, I'll have to keep it dejunked.

Comments

[ataniell93.livejournal.com]

I promised myself that if I totally clean up the spare room and move the stuff in the living room that should be in there if it were a usable room, I'm going to pay to have my carpets cleaned, because I have a formerly bulimic cat and I hate the stains.

[kressel.livejournal.com]

I thought you'd even be exempt from major fasts. But I thought there was a special way to eat, like less than a shiur at a time at intervals.

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

It's sort of the deal we made. I keep TB"A and Y"K and let the rest slide. Also, while I'll take TB"A off from work, I won't do that for the minor days, and there's no way I can work and fast at the same time.

There are rabbis who hold that shiurim are...well. If you need to eat, you should eat, without worrying about amounts. We go by that.

[estherchaya.livejournal.com]

for major fast days I was given the shiur solution. I measure out pre-packaged portions of crackers and I keep a shot glass around for water. Minor fast days, I was told to basically fast until I can't.

[kressel.livejournal.com]

My former neighbor told me that when her father was ill, his Rov paskened that he should not fast on Yom Kippur, and he didn't want to listen. The Rov went to the man's house and saw to it that he ate.

[estherchaya.livejournal.com]

a friend of mine's mother, sadly, passed away when he was a young teenager due to cancer. He still tells stories of the rabbi telling his mother, in the midst of chemotherapy treatments, that she was NOT ALLOWED to fast. She didn't want to hear any of it. So he came over on YK with tea and crackers and made sure she ate at least that.

[readspice.livejournal.com]

good lord. you're just like my mother.

you know, people generally get others to clean their house so they don't have to.

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

Indeed.

And if she saw my house in my normal chaotic state, she'd LEAVE.

As I've said before.

For some people, messy is "there's a toy visible someplace."

For me, *clean* is, "Look, FLOOR!"

[deviantauthor.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'd have to clean before a cleaning person came over.

[leahmiriam.livejournal.com]

Well, I don't clean before it's cleaned I just de-crudify it. Especially since my current cleaning gal isn't so keen on picking things up to clean under, she simply dusts around! Aargh! I feel much better when the house is cleaned on a regular basis by someone other than me. I hate spending Sundays doing it.

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

I did actually clean the kitchen, at least from the waist up - I washed down the counter, the stove top (alcohol works well against grease) and my plastic folding table.

But mostly, yes, it's decluttering. And it's an incentive to keep decluttering.

Honestly, we just want to be able to have folks just drop in, and to entertain.

[leahmiriam.livejournal.com]

I understand. That's why I clean of the dining room table now. It was embarrassing. My house is always clean just really cluttered. I am married to a gamer/computer programmer/pack rat. The odds are against me.

[estherchaya.livejournal.com]

I just dropped in on your unexpectedly once and I didn't turn into a pillar of salt when I saw your apartment. Worry not.

Anyway, having seen your apartment, your apartment is completely de-clutterable, though I can see why you would find it overwhelming. I try to keep a clean bathroom, living room, and sunroom, since those are the places that a drop-in guest has to go. (they can also see the dining room from the living room, but nobody's perfect). It's manageable, even with a toddler, but wouldn't be without having someone in every other week to clean the floors and such.

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

The problem is where to put the clutter.

The other problem is me. I don't put things away. I take them out and use them and then...that's it. They go on a convenient surface. (My kitchen counter gets the worst of it - spices and tools just get sort of left until I have to change the kitchen over from meat to dairy or back - which I rarely do since we're such carnivores.) I...stop seeing it is the easiest thing to say.

And the clutter makes cleaning difficult.

[estherchaya.livejournal.com]

I know the feeling. Part of the issue comes from not having specific designated places for all your things. If it doesn't have a designated space, you're in trouble. :)

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

Yeah. The lack of places is a problem.

We need more bookcases. At this point, we have a book room. Which we should just line in shelves and call it a library.

[estherchaya.livejournal.com]

I wasn't able to fast either. I'm sorry you were yuckified.

As for cleaning, no big deal. You need cleaning help. You'll be a lot happier for it. And yes, you can do all that stuff this time. But can you do it every week? Probably not. In this day and age, no one really has time for that kind of maintenance on their house. It will be easier to keep your house presentable, if you've got a cleaning service helping you with things like counters, floors, and bathrooms. I de-clutterfy for my cleaning lady also. De-cluttering is different than cleaning, and de-clutterfying is harder to do for someone else.

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

That's what I figure. I'm getting my house in shape to be cleaned. And I'll have to keep it that way. Which means a nice, calm house.

Maybe we'll even start watching tv in the living room. :)

[estherchaya.livejournal.com]

you'll be amazed how relaxing it will be to walk into your house each week with it clean and sparkling. It will have a lovely "clean" smell and it's about the most relaxing thing ever. You walk in and you can sit down - guilt free! - without having to think about that stack of papers you need to think about or those dishes you failed to wash or whatever.

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

I know that feeling. I usually get it around Passover. But to have someone else do it...wow.

Meanwhile. The table is decluttered. My dressertop and the floor by my bed are visible. Jonathan tackled his side of the room, where he found a fountain pen he'd thought he'd left in a hotel room and replaced.