Happiness is a clean house.

It's a happy day in the D'Agostino household. Why?

All of the bathrooms are clean!! And the kitchen floor has been mopped!! Silly, you say? You wouldn't think so if your house hadn't been cleaned really well for 3 months.

Since late December, I haven't been able to do my usual household chores. Gus has tried to pick up the slack, but there's just not enough time. Besides, he already works 40+ hours/week, does the yard work, & takes out the trash - so why should he have to do everything else as well? Anyway, I now have a cleaning lady that will be coming every 2 weeks!!! Woot!!

Rosey (I'm going to call her Rosey after the Jetson's maid, LOL) swept in here at 9:00 this morning, and a mere 3 hours later, I had a spotless kitchen floor and immaculate 3.5 baths!! No easy feat considering that Lulu's bathroom had about 2 inches of hairspray caked on the counter & floor. Best $70 we ever spent.

I'm experiencing a few uneasy feelings about having a woman who is almost old enough to be my mother cleaning my house. I was raised to respect my elders, and her working while I rest feels a bit wrong. I know, I know - it's not like I just don't want to do it - I really can't do it, but I feel a bit guilty. Rosey's husband is out of work and she cleans houses to support them, so I'm telling myself that I'm really helping her by giving her more work. And let's not forget - I HAVE SPOTLESS BATHROOMS!!!

However, I don't feel guilty about having Gus's work clothes pressed by the dry cleaner. I have always hated ironing and I'm pretty sure that feeling isn't going to disappear, even when I can use my right arm again. Gus never understood what a nasty chore ironing was until he had to take over the job. I think he ironed for about 2 weeks when he made the executive decision to take everything to the dry cleaner. Hmmm. He ironed for 2 weeks - I ironed for over 20 years - and now we outsource the ironing? Whatever. At least I don't have to do it. And this is one expense that won't be disappearing anytime soon. I may even toss out my iron.  :-)