Catching up

This guy and I plan to travel

Okay - it's been a while since I blogged. Blame writer's block. I had no words, no story. Just reporting on our activities seemed shallow. Paul and I had some health issues - the reality of "our 60's" bites. Don't worry - we're not on death's doorstep. Still - the new reality of the passing of our youth sucks. The good news is - it beats the alternative! Dirt nap.

So what's happening now? Retired Paul has been busy working fulltime in a contract job with the City of West Des Moines. He's a forester - trimming trees, spraying weeds, mulching and using software to track the city's trees. It's just what he needed - a job with very little stress. He's paid hourly and can take off whenever he needs to and will take a few month break over hunting season/winter.

Photo from Dubuque - work meeting there this week

I'm in my "senior" year of work. Last semester even! I plan to retire from my present job at the end of the year. I told my supervisor a couple weeks ago. Like Paul, I'll do something part-time in the future because we want to be able to travel and we'd like our funds to last.

We've been talking about our life change (both retirements) a lot! It reminds me of graduating from college - exciting and scary. What will we do? Where will we go? The world is our oyster - how will we crack it open?

Everyone tells me how great retirement will be. Still, it is a bit scary to me. I need structure in my life. I love reading, walking, biking. I plan to go to workouts at my gym - especially aqua. But I need more than that. So pursuing some type of flexible part-time employment will be good for me for the next few years. Flexible so we can travel more!

Wish me luck as I wind down my DNR career. The good news is that my supervisor at DNR (and the program I work with) has encouraged (and required) that I compile procedures for the major things I do. That will help the transition as the state can't hire anyone new until I'm gone. Stay tuned for more on this as I travel this road. It's my dream to do a Dive Bar blog as we travel.

Cleaning

Raise your mouse (or laptop touchpad) if you enjoy cleaning. Some people find great satisfaction in it. Not me! Sure I can do a little bit - the straightening, picking up part. I need a tidy area to help me relax. But deeper cleaning usually makes me mad. Why? It leads me to see things like - the floorboard needs to be painted or argh! There are dead flies behind the shutters and I didn't plan to clean there today. One thing leads to another...black hole.

I was with three friends last weekend when I had a Seinfeld moment. We were at an ISU game watch when the subject turned to cleaning. Paul was out of town that weekend - on a trip to New Orleans with Jud. They do an annual guy-trip to a pro football game for their teams. This year it was Cowboys vs. Saints. When Paul is gone I tend to do deep cleaning projects. I was bragging about how I'd cleaned out the frig that day. (I didn't even get mad). 

My friends started talking about cleaning. It turns out they all have the same magical cleaning lady. We'll call her Jean.  One friend said Jean even wipes out the microwave when she's at her house. The next person said, "Jean wipes down my shutters." "She watches my dogs when I'm gone," said Person 3. Egads! Who is this Jean and how can I be her friend? Alas, she's booked...of course, she is. Jean may hire an associate - but that person will never be "Jean". 

The cleaning lady finally showed up

She started by dancing around to the Abba CD and making Odie bark. I got Abba at the Planned Parenthood Book Sale last week. I'm a little disappointed Fernando (track 12) and beyond are scratched - what can one expect for $4. Kinda disrupts the jiven. In case you haven't figured it out, the cleaning bitch is me. The sun is shining and I'm in the mood to spiff up the place.

I like to have a clean house when I leave on a trip - in case the place burns down or something. It's like wearing clean underwear in case of an accident. I'm also thinking about my sis Suso who last year came home to a flooded home after their ice maker hose broke and water ran for a few days while they were gone - thousands of $$ damage, main floor and basement. We Bullock girls must have our ice makers thanks to Dave B. We're all ice freaks. (sidenote - I heard the gal in the next cubicle talking about this to co-workers, not me, last week saying she could do without an ice maker and it was all I could do not to jump up and shout - "you must have an ice maker! Dave Bullock's rules!" over the cubicle wall.

So I worked up a sweat dancing to my favorite Mama Mia songs, then I broke out the dusting tools and the vacuum. The Today Show talked about vacuuming the thing on the frig by the fan, and I recalled I hadn't done that in a while. You know how one thing leads to another...a couple hours later I've got the living room about done.

The plastic thing from the frig is on a towel after it took a bath. Vacuuming didn't cut it, a full bath was required. Saw a couple ants by the front door. Not that again! I hate dealing with chemicals with pets around. Spraying the house can't be good for them. May have to call the pest control peeps this year. Pablo is out trimming trees - borrowed a neighbor's pickup to haul limbs to the compost site. (see we don't need our own truck...) Still need to mop the floors and do windows.

Shout out to Alternative Leslie G - hope your vacation was grand! And that Alt Paul G didn't mind the mix up at Sahar. You out there in readerland. It's happened again! The real world refuses to admit that there are two such fabulous women with the same name. Leslie and I both now go to the salon - Sahar's in West Des Moines - but I explained to the appointment chick when I made my appointment, there are two of us. My cell number is different than hers. She's from Chariton.

Nevertheless, I got the call (while I was in Chicago at a conference no less) for LMG's pre-Florida vacation tune-up appointment. Sahar's left a voice mail as I was in a session at the time. So I texted LMG to let her know. But they must have had the appointment time wrong. The day of the appointment they called to say she missed it! I then called to explain to them (AGAIN) that there are 2 of us (just like the Doublemint Twins). The gal said "we must have put you together because I only have one phone number." Dumbshits!

So LMG arrived at her appointed time, and they didn't have it set up! She was not a happy pre-vacationer according to her email that evening. She was able to get a pedicure elsewhere I believe but other, um more personal attentions went unattended to. I think they owe her something. I'll probably get a nice gift soon. haha

Anyways - Leslie, looked like you had great weather and hope the place you stayed and your ballgames were great. Plus hope the shopping was divine. I'm hoping to score big there (avert eyes Pablo).

Okay back to mopping and windows. Abba is over and I'm on to the CD Amy made for me, a compilation of her fave tunes - which is kinda like getting a hug from my baby girl.

Cleaning

Pablo the Pool Boy headed indoors to help clean for our Super Bowl Partay today. I'm always surprised how little he knows about cleaning. He's been helping me clean since we were married - some 27+ years.

I was chagrined to have to explain how to use the MopNGlo. He was pleased with himself as he dusted the legs of the dining table, saying "I bet these have never been done since we've had this." Uh...I do that every time (all of 2 times a year but hey...) we entertain. He's never noticed. The man who can relate what most of the farmsteads in Union County look like. The guy who knows every move the Green Bay Packers make...Ah priorities. You could say that about me when it comes to outdoor stuff.

I had to teach myself to clean through the years, so I probably don't have the most professional methods myself. When I was a kid, we always had a cleaning lady. The first one I remember was Mrs. Grey. She was the first black person I was ever around. I think they were the only African American family in Atlantic - that must have not been easy back in the 60's. I was fascinated that the palms of her hands were so light, and probably stared at her during lunch - we always ate lunch with our cleaning people. Mom cleaned right along with them - and did the laundry when they were there too so they could help make up the beds.

The next cleaning lady I remember was Leona Wheatley - who became almost a part of the family. On deep cleaning days - windows, hardwood floors - Leona's sis Et (probably short for Etta but I never asked) would come too. Leona was quite a character - married to a man my parents said was a mean drunk. Leona was funny and never shy - she helped with all of our big family events, like weddings. Leona didn't drive so when I got my license one of my jobs was to run her home. She lived not too far from my Grandparents place at 909 Poplar.

Lots of my friends and neighbors have cleaning people. Thea always laments about having to clean for the cleaners. That's probably what I would feel like - embarrassed to have somebody see what I slob I am. I sure appreciate people who keep things spotless! But I'm not one of them - not sure you can be with pets. Plus I don't have the energy nor drive to put that much effort into something that will just get dirty again!

I'm an "each thing in its place" kinda person though. A bit neurotic about it. Just ask my fam! I am not comfy watching TV in a room with untidy piles of crap laying about. Though my tolerance has gone up as years go by - and I had to forgo that rule when the kids were small and their toys were everywhere.

Looking forward to the Super Bowl gathering today - and the place is clean!