I spent some time
under the fridge today.
Well, of course, there is a story to this.
It starts with two weekends ago, when Sweet Girl and Rowdy Son were at a friend's birthday party. Their pool and cabana were incredible...the "outdoor kitchen" has my indoor kitchen beat by a country mile or a stack of Better Homes and Gardens magazines, their "outdoor living room" outdoes even that...and the pool had a view of the hill country that people pay millions for.
I do try not to have the "want-tos". I mean, we have a pool. It's, um, above-ground. No cabana, no view, and well, no oohs and ahs. Just water and it feels great on a hot day. It is the only type of pool anyone in my neighborhood has, due to hard rock underneath the one pitiful inch of soil out here, but that doesn't stop the comments...from neighbors. One came over one day and was chatting with us as we watched the kids swim. "Do you like your pool," she asked. "Oh, we love it," we gushed. She sighed, "I really want an above-ground pool too, but my husband said they are just too white trash".
Silence.
How exactly does one respond to that? "Oh, yes, we ARE white trash and we love it"? or "Oh, no, you wouldn't become white trash only due to having the pool, surely that requires a trailer with wheels still on...", or, turning to each other... "Honey, speaking of white trash, is pick-up still scheduled for Friday even if it's on July 4th this year?".
We were just quiet. She went home (to her million dollar house, by the way. Maybe she should just dynamite a big ol' hole in her acreage and get a non-white-trash pool).
SO, fast-forward to today. I guess that whole conversation tended to disgruntle me. I looked around here. I looked around with my glasses on. I got on the floor and really looked.
It was all pretty bad.
OK, so I don't live in 4,000 square feet and I don't have all the bells and whistles of wealthy-dom, but I think I could possibly manage to keep the place clean. SO I got out all the cleaners, got on the questionable floor, made the kids bring me new paper towels and scrubbies as I called for them (no way was I getting up again once I got down...until it was time for my nap).
Here's the thing: This house IS old. As in, built in 1977. As in over thirty. We bought it from my dad, who had lived in it as a bachelor with a number of dogs, cats (the number changed with deaths and new strays), and books. When he married again, he and his new wife sold the house to us "as is". "As is" was fine, and we were thrilled to get it, but it did come with "everything". By that I mean, furniture, pots, pans, books, magazines, appliances. All of which were a) old and b) dirty. I went through 34 years of my parental belongings and it has taken me over 10 years to sort-of/kind-of have a handle on it. (Remember, my birthday present last year was a garage clean-out/reorganization).
However, being married to Mr. herewegoagain means never having to say, "I'm sorry, but I want something new.".
The fridge is older than perfect daughter. It STILL WORKS. It has stood in that spot for over 16 years in this house and to move it requires actual day-laborers, so there it sits. (Unlike BFF's...who owns an oil company...fridge. She can move it with her little finger...vacuum under it, and be done with it. It's also the sixth fridge she has owned in the 13 years I have known her).
I was on the floor. Peering under the monstrosity. Sticking fingers trepidatiously under it (remember, this is the land of critters and they all sting). I poked a coat hanger under there and removed oh, several years worth of dog hair, 10-year-old dog food (I had to shoo the dumb mutts away from that), fridge magnets, and even a couple of recipes.
As I sat on the floor, it occurred to me that I WANT TO MOVE. I have my little Japanese house-guest due in a week and it's kind of like a diet where you want to lose 25 pounds in a week? I want to paint, re-model, re-floor and landscape. In a week. Or, MOVE.
I also need to hire some day-laborers once in awhile (who needs to eat anyway?) and move that fridge. Or, hint hint...buy a new one?
Well, of course, there is a story to this.
It starts with two weekends ago, when Sweet Girl and Rowdy Son were at a friend's birthday party. Their pool and cabana were incredible...the "outdoor kitchen" has my indoor kitchen beat by a country mile or a stack of Better Homes and Gardens magazines, their "outdoor living room" outdoes even that...and the pool had a view of the hill country that people pay millions for.
I do try not to have the "want-tos". I mean, we have a pool. It's, um, above-ground. No cabana, no view, and well, no oohs and ahs. Just water and it feels great on a hot day. It is the only type of pool anyone in my neighborhood has, due to hard rock underneath the one pitiful inch of soil out here, but that doesn't stop the comments...from neighbors. One came over one day and was chatting with us as we watched the kids swim. "Do you like your pool," she asked. "Oh, we love it," we gushed. She sighed, "I really want an above-ground pool too, but my husband said they are just too white trash".
Silence.
How exactly does one respond to that? "Oh, yes, we ARE white trash and we love it"? or "Oh, no, you wouldn't become white trash only due to having the pool, surely that requires a trailer with wheels still on...", or, turning to each other... "Honey, speaking of white trash, is pick-up still scheduled for Friday even if it's on July 4th this year?".
We were just quiet. She went home (to her million dollar house, by the way. Maybe she should just dynamite a big ol' hole in her acreage and get a non-white-trash pool).
SO, fast-forward to today. I guess that whole conversation tended to disgruntle me. I looked around here. I looked around with my glasses on. I got on the floor and really looked.
It was all pretty bad.
OK, so I don't live in 4,000 square feet and I don't have all the bells and whistles of wealthy-dom, but I think I could possibly manage to keep the place clean. SO I got out all the cleaners, got on the questionable floor, made the kids bring me new paper towels and scrubbies as I called for them (no way was I getting up again once I got down...until it was time for my nap).
Here's the thing: This house IS old. As in, built in 1977. As in over thirty. We bought it from my dad, who had lived in it as a bachelor with a number of dogs, cats (the number changed with deaths and new strays), and books. When he married again, he and his new wife sold the house to us "as is". "As is" was fine, and we were thrilled to get it, but it did come with "everything". By that I mean, furniture, pots, pans, books, magazines, appliances. All of which were a) old and b) dirty. I went through 34 years of my parental belongings and it has taken me over 10 years to sort-of/kind-of have a handle on it. (Remember, my birthday present last year was a garage clean-out/reorganization).
However, being married to Mr. herewegoagain means never having to say, "I'm sorry, but I want something new.".
The fridge is older than perfect daughter. It STILL WORKS. It has stood in that spot for over 16 years in this house and to move it requires actual day-laborers, so there it sits. (Unlike BFF's...who owns an oil company...fridge. She can move it with her little finger...vacuum under it, and be done with it. It's also the sixth fridge she has owned in the 13 years I have known her).
I was on the floor. Peering under the monstrosity. Sticking fingers trepidatiously under it (remember, this is the land of critters and they all sting). I poked a coat hanger under there and removed oh, several years worth of dog hair, 10-year-old dog food (I had to shoo the dumb mutts away from that), fridge magnets, and even a couple of recipes.
As I sat on the floor, it occurred to me that I WANT TO MOVE. I have my little Japanese house-guest due in a week and it's kind of like a diet where you want to lose 25 pounds in a week? I want to paint, re-model, re-floor and landscape. In a week. Or, MOVE.
I also need to hire some day-laborers once in awhile (who needs to eat anyway?) and move that fridge. Or, hint hint...buy a new one?
posted by herewegoagain at
2:16 PM
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