14 Days

About 6 weeks ago I got a text message from my aunt, "Only 14 days until Summerville!"  I don't remember how far in advance we had made plans for my aunts and my cousins to visit, but in any case, on that particular day we were down to only 14 days left until the beginning of the visit.  I was extremely excited, I mean, it had been roughly a month since I had seen anyone from Ohio, and about 4 months since I had seen my aunts and my cousins.  At that point, 14 days sounded like a long time, but when I got home I decided that I was thankful for that "long" wait in between that day and the visit.

The reason for the thankfulness?  As I got home that night and scanned my apartment, I noticed the mess.  There were my shoes piled around the front door and NOT in the shoe holder I have, the three dog leashes I have were piled in front of the patio window, there were dishes left on the end table, and the kitchen had all my dish rags and newspaper ads left scattered on the kitchen counter.  While not unsanitary, my apartment was definitely cluttered and in desperate need of a through cleaning before I had ANYONE in that apartment!  I know I focus in on weird things like this, but I always thought that when I moved into my own apartment, I would keep my house immaculate.  Ha.

Now, find my mom, my best friend, or anyone who I talk to on a regular basis and ask them what I am doing while I talk.  Nine times out of ten I am cleaning when I talk to them on the phone, Skype, or by Facebook chat.  It's not because I have obsessive compulsive disorder and have to clean my house 24/7, it's more like I am incredibly ineffective at actually finishing any cleaning task I set out to accomplish.  But...I decided that since I had a goal, I would be more effective this time and I would keep my apartment clean for 14 days, complete with washing the walls, cleaning the carpet, and scrubbing every laminate floor.  You can imagine how that turned out.

Day 1: Entire apartment is cleaned, vacuumed, dusted and all the trash is out.  It "only" took me from 6:30 to 11:30 to accomplish cleaning 680 square feet.  There were a few episodes of Parks and Recreation in there somewhere.

Day 3:  I don't do anything on Friday nights, this includes not putting my dishes away, leaving my mail on the table, leaving my clothes in a pile on the floor.

Day 4: I wake up late on Saturdays.  I consider getting my laundry done my accomplishment for the day.

Day 5:  Go Sunday!  I have everything cleaned, vacuumed, and dusted.  If it was in the living room.

Day 8: Somewhere in the next three days my apartment has gone from fairly cleaned and straightened to cluttered with coupon clippings on the table and receipts for online payment piled around the end table the printer sits under. I did manage to vacuum, but the dog took it upon himself to roll on his back and wiggle through the living room, which was cute, but left a trail of dog hair all over my freshly vacuumed carpet.  This is of course right after I took the filter out and washed it, so now I can't vacuum again until it's dried.

Day 9: I get the great idea to rearrange my room.  Which is fine, except I moved a whole bunch of random stuff from the other rooms in here.  Now, as I try to maneuver my bed and my top heavy bookshelf around the room, I first have to move all the other stuff out of my way.  Hey...I haven't read that book in a long time...four hours later it's time for bed.

Day 10: I discover my list from 10 days ago and remember that I wanted to keep my apartment completely cleaned for 14 days.  I laugh and rededicate myself to the cause.  I fall asleep on the floor while watching The Colbert Report on Hulu.  When I wake up it's time for bed.

Day 11: I realize that I have just about no time left, complete with an incredibly busy work week that will probably keep me there after hours and require me making a dessert for the staff meeting day after I get home.  In any case, I get the floors vacuumed.

Day 12: Today I make that dessert.  I accidentally drop the sifter full of powdered sugar.  Big mess.  The kitchen gets cleaned, but before I reach the rest of the house I get a phone call.  No worries, I will finish cleaning tomorrow.

Day 13:  I watched Castle and fell asleep at 7:00 p.m.

Day 14:  5:00 p.m., I check my phone.  They're in Columbia?! That's ok, it gives me another two hours.  Then I realized that the fact that they have made it this far in a little under 10 hours indicates that they are moving a lot faster than I expected them to.  Haha.  Upon further texts, I realize they are 30 miles away, traveling at 70 mph.  Anyone good at algebra?  I decide that my apartment is cluttered, but not dirty, so it's all okay.  Then I notice that my refrigerator is the one place that hasn't been cleaned out and is filled with all sorts of pretty, but unnatural colors.  Quickly it is cleaned out.  My laundry, which has been drying all over my apartment since yesterday afternoon, is quickly gathered into baskets and shoved in my closet.   They arrive, and all is forgotten as we travel the tri-county area, picking up trinkets, meeting locals, revisiting history, and playing in the ocean.

Day 18: As I attempt to clean up now that everyone is gone, I find the original cleaning list.  I laugh, throw it out, and sit back to watch the Amazing Race, since I now have network TV courtesy of my aunt.  I'll clean tomorrow.

Today (Day 25):  My apartment is back in it's usual state: Clean (sanitary), but my newspaper is scattered on the table, my library books are piled by the futon, where I have been reading all day, and I know the ironing board is still set up in my bedroom, where I left it this morning before church.  I can't help but laugh at myself for my overly ambitious goal and my inability to meet that goal.  I guess I can be thankful that I don't really have anything bigger to obsess about right now.  There was a tornado that touched down and destroyed a few homes and a church about an hour north of my house last night.  Everyone was okay, but it looks like a big mess!

Well, the only thing that remains to be done tonight is enjoying the weather. I have no idea what the temperature is, but it's perfect for spending time out on my patio, and that's just what I intend to do.  I have my new citronella candles ready to repel those pesky mosquitoes, some nice iced tea, and a few more books to read.  Ah....