The Cleaning Monster

I knew this day was coming. I was just recounting to the Zaccarelli girls last night that my Mom really hadn't tortured me at all in a week and how truly shocked I was by this. But up until today, most of my tasks had focused around the kitchen - a place where I'd gladly stay all day every day. Since Mom came home on Wednesday, I've been preparing meals and running errands. Yesterday around 4pm, I finally was able to sit down and try to get some work done...you know, for my job. I forgot I had one, too, for a few days there (and because I do love it, I missed my Lab Manual project and Course Development Proposal).

Armed with my Wawa coffee, I was able to be productive on the job front yesterday. I knew, despite the debauchery that was sure to go down last night with the Zaccarellis, that I would make every effort to get up at a decent time and get some work done. Thanks to my Dad, I had to rise and shine at 6:30am.

Let's go back a day: Yesterday at 6am, Dad woke me up to ask where Mom's meds were (in the kitchen, where she took them); 6:05am, "When is she supposed to take them?" (Now, if she wants to eat dairy in 2 hours due to the actions of one antibiotic). 6:15am, "STEPHANIE, I NEED YOUR HELP!!!" Dad called from the bathroom. I found him on the floor sitting cross-legged (63-year old men should not sit cross-legged on the floor) trying to fix the gasket on the bottom of the glass door. He wanted me to hold the gasket in place...it wasn't working out for him. After a solid 20-25 minutes of this, he decided screw it, and he'd go on with his shower. He proceeded to pull the shower fixture out of it's holding place (the thing that turns the water on and off).

This led to me attempting to fix both things around 7am, then deciding that I would super-glue the gasket and talk to someone at Home Depot about the shower fixture thing.

Needless to say, it was an early morning yesterday, a late night last night (but a lot of fun), and then again an early morning today. So luckily today, thus far, nothing has gotten broken but it's still early.

This morning, I made Mom's breakfast around 9am. Then she announced that I would get to dust and vacuum today (yay!). Additionally, I'd also get to clean the bathrooms (another yay!). I'll make this disclaimer - I, in no way, shape or form, clean my entire house at one time. My Mom on the other hand is a NEAT FREAK in every sense of the word. She dusts things with no dust on them (twice!), vacuums spaces with multiple devices (Dirt Devils and Sharks...), and is just all around crazy when it comes to cleanliness.

I do a few rooms on one day, a few rooms on another (and yes, it helps that we don't have a ton of furniture). I am talented with a vacuum given the amount of dog hair I deal with on a daily basis. But when Mom is sitting in a chair going ,"No...I can still see some dust" and I'm going over and over a portion of furniture or the floor screaming, "THERE'S NOTHING THERE! I GOT IT ALREADY!", a person gets pushed to the limit of wanting to fill the Vicodin prescription to dose either herself or the patient (decaf coffee with a kick, Mom?)!

I've vacuumed all rooms at this point, went over crevices with a broom and dustpan (for any stray dog or cat hair), and dusted my Dad's office and parents' room. My parents' room was the kicker when Mom announced I'd have to move all her perfume bottles to clean the glass mirror thing they're situated on (the picture is on Facebook). I got to do this while my Mom chatted on the phone with her friends. My God, it's like my Mom is me when I was 13 and sitting in a pile of clothes on the floor with my phone while she attempted to clean around me.

After that fiasco, I'm spent. It's time for a nap, then Lab Manual work and I'd like to try to put myself together a little bit for Bryan's arrival tonight (my husband...remember him?!).

The bathrooms will have to wait...