Monday, February 19, 2007

Procrastination is Making Me Wait...

We were motivated yesterday. We decided to clean house. Actually, we had planned to clean on Saturday, but successfully found enough stuff to occupy our day that we were able to procrastinate until Sunday. Don’t get all self-righteous on me, you know you’ve been there, done that.

On Saturday, we went to Harvest Caffe for breakfast, and then went our separate ways. MLH had some tax duties calling at the office. Younger Son and I went to buy a cool couch for our music room. There were a couple of requirements for the couch – (1) it had to be armless, to further facilitate the great (or will someday be great) guitarists in the house and (2) it had to be comfy enough to sleep on, should the extra musicians stay all night. Color, unimportant. Style had to be a little contemporary. We found one! We ordered the couch – and have a 3 week delivery date. Whilst looking, we found these two really cool lamps with metallic shades for the boys’ room. And then…we all went to the movie.

Sunday comes. And Younger Son gets sick and stays in bed all day. One warm cleaning body down for the count, two left standing. MLH and I begin the task of cleaning. Did I mention our house has 100% tile floors? And it has been rather wet outside in the past week? And we have a dog?

Ah, well. On with it. We have this HUGE red sectional couch. (And we special ordered it for our funkily-shaped living room, so it is our own fault, no matter how much we gritch about it.) We have been going back and forth about the configuration of this couch for almost a year. We turn it this way, and then that way. And nothing works – so much so, that in December, we bought a flat screen TV to hang on the wall, and as of yet, it is not hanging. And no rug has been purchased. No pictures hung. In other words – don’t let the humongous red sectional couch be the center of your decorating scheme. It will jack you up – for months.

For some reason, unknown to even me, I suggested a partial configuration. And MLH tilted his head this way, then that, and said, “Janie, that might just work!” We stopped what we were doing, reconfigured the couch, and voila! It was done! And that inspired…further moving of furniture. And that inspired…a trip to Salvation Army for disposal of even more furniture! I know, too many exclamation marks, but it’s exciting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Our house, which has been in remodel mode of some sort since we moved in here, is finally taking shape. And the plan is unfolding.

We have much more to do, but hang in with us – it will get done. I can feel it. It was a great, funny day…and even made more so by Zack the Wonder Dog’s constant asides and comments. Zack can't clean house worth a pig's ear, but the boy can be a smart-aleck - and a funny one, at that.

What? You’ve never heard a dog talk?

Stay tuned.

8 comments:

Rae said...

I finally stopped procrastinating today - so I am proud of both of us!

Anonymous said...

Well done! It's amazing when it finally clicks!
Happy for you!

beth said...

Yay for the couch arrangement! It's always fun when decorating finally just clicks. :)

Gwynne said...

I'm looking forward to the day when you show us the video of Zack talking back and showing off his tricks. ;-)

The red couch sounds like a great decorating center piece!

Foo said...

Sounds like something that might happen around our house--although much of the cleaning falls squarely on my reluctant shoulders.

MLB sits only about 3 1/2 feet tall, so she doesn't see dust above that level. I could sneak by without dusting above that level if only she'd stop having people over to the house. And I can sympathize about the mostly-tile floors. They hold up better than carpet, because of the wheelchair traffic, but we have cats. The conversations go like this:

"Foo, why are you vacuuming/swiffering/mopping the floor again?"

"Because it's disgusting," I say. "The cats keep dragging litter all over the place, and it keeps sticking to the bottoms of my feet. It drives me crazy."

"I don't feel it."

I give her the Gaze of Death.

"Well, you could put on some shoes," she offers helpfully.

"Just... clear out for a bit," I tell her. "And don't leave tracks. I just mopped over there."

Cowtown Pattie said...

Hey, my dogs sing! To the sound of loud jet roars...


Ahhhh Oooooh!

Werewolves of London...

Pancho said...

Hell the Salvation Army is where I buy most of my furniture!

That Janie Girl said...

Rachel, Jennifer, Beth - just to let y'all know, I'm probably not quite done procrastinating - but I'm getting better! And yes, we're so glad about the couch!

Gwynne - I guess I have to figure out how to post videos, huh?

Foo - MLH does a lot of the floor stuff, too (Thank God!) so tell your bride that I get the "get out of the way" lectures, as well! And I might be familiar with the "Gaze of Death"...;)

Pattie - Zack sings, as well...well, it's mostly an ongoing whimper when he wants back in the house...maybe it just sounds amplified!

Wallace - better get yo' butt on down there, then, 'cause there's some Broyhill waiting with your name on it (and more than a little of Zack's hair)...