The yellow t-shirt over my eyes was making me claustrophobic. Yet it was better than the first thing I’d used to cover my face: the towel that Bob the Dog had been using as a bed in the garage for the past two weeks.
After getting eyes and a nose full of dirt and dead leaves and dog stench, I actually saw a preteen boy’s dirty T-shirt as an improvement.
I was definitely gonna need a shower after this.
I shifted the shirt off my nose and one eye, so I could see the laundry room ceiling. Hiding under this pile of dirty laundry was beginning to seem like a bad idea.
Where was Abby? I’d heard her “Ready or not, here I come!” when she finished counting.
Thumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthump…
Oh. There she was, running through the kitchen a few feet away.
Years ago, my sister and brother-in-law lived in our basement. Whenever my kids played on the ground floor, my sister’s little dog would get agitated and run in circles below, barking hysterically.
Now, with my ear actually on the floor, I began to relate to the dog.
Still, I resisted the temptation to call out (or run in circles). Abby would have more fun if she found me herself.
***
Soooo… How did you celebrate Valentine’s Day?
Besides playing hide-and-seek with the kids Saturday evening, we ate a scrumptious gourmet* meal.
*If you’re new here, I’m not bragging about my cooking. Charlie prepares everything that could be considered gourmet. I take care of the “white trash” category.
This was after I awakened from my heavenly nap.
During which Charlie got the kids to finish their chores.
Ah, the romantic gestures I receive from my beloved.
What did I do for him?
(Besides that. Geez.)
I helped him hang a dozen pictures in his office. I also cleaned the kitchen and living room, and our bedroom.
Vacuuming is my love language.
***
We had planned to go out to a movie after dropping the kids off at the sports center’s “Kids’ Night Out.” But after a morning of cleaning, a date began to look like too much work.
(You know you’re getting old…)
Seriously, after the movie we’d have to pick up three tired, grumpy, hungry kids, who had probably picked fights with each other all over the gym. On equipment they weren’t allowed to play on. After leading the group in a rousing game of “Potty Humor Poker.”
We decided we could do without that embarrassment.
So, Family Dinner and Game Night it was. And stinky laundry notwithstanding, we all had a great time.
P.S. I spent Sunday doing laundry. Five loads from the floor alone. I’m a Domestic Goddess.
17 responses so far ↓
1 Christy Klein // Feb 16, 2009 at 12:14 pm
LOL, you are soo my long lost sister!
For a few minutes there I thought you’d been spyin on me and wrote about my weekend… til I noticed a few discrepancies.
We had a Family Dinner @ McDonalds (that counts as a gourmet meal), and a Movie Night – as apposed to your Game Night.
Christy Klein’s last blog post..S.W.A.K. Lovin the Workplace
2 katdish // Feb 16, 2009 at 12:15 pm
Okay, but I’m still awaiting the explanation of the overabundance of laundry baskets with bated breath…
3 elizabeth channel // Feb 16, 2009 at 12:22 pm
Sounds lovely–plus you have a clean house, clean laundry and a happy husband. A good way to start a week!
After the stomach deal over here you can imagine I’m buried under a few piles of laundry : 0
elizabeth channel’s last blog post..Viral Valentine: Share Your Story and Win!
4 Daniel W. Slocum // Feb 16, 2009 at 12:52 pm
My amazing wife invited my parents to live with us. It was a complete bonus when my mom offered to be the Laundry Person. Whoohooo. Can you believe my wife actually said “it’s getting annoying putting clothes away every day”. Amazing!
Daniel W. Slocum’s last blog post..Havanese Rescue Inc. 2009 Calendar
5 Mel // Feb 16, 2009 at 12:58 pm
Sounds like a perfectly wonderful date!!
Mel’s last blog post..Magnificent Monday & 51/365
6 Jo@Mylestones // Feb 16, 2009 at 1:04 pm
That was a great word picture–hiding under the laundry piles, ear to the ground, resisting the urge to run in circles. In a few short phrases, you took me to a place I’ve never been (and never hope to be).
I saw the reference on twitter to your romantic weekend, and kept waiting for the romance to appear in your post. Sarcasm is apparently lost on me!
Jo@Mylestones’s last blog post..They Were Hot and Cold
7 @ngie // Feb 16, 2009 at 1:43 pm
You are the best, SSBBBFF! You make housework sound romantic.
tuya: BBFF
@ngie’s last blog post..Good News
8 the domestic fringe // Feb 16, 2009 at 3:00 pm
I got to go out for V-Day…not rubbing it in or anything. FringeMan really lucked out. We were invited to a fain-cy Fireman’s installation dinner at a catering hall on Valentine’s day. FREE
AND, more good food that we could possibly think of consuming. It was like a quality assurance test on my control-top pantyhose.
-FringeGirl
the domestic fringe’s last blog post..V-Day – No Sweating Involved
9 Helen // Feb 16, 2009 at 3:52 pm
You have inspired me to do laundry…….tomorrow.
10 Annie K // Feb 16, 2009 at 7:16 pm
Ok, I do laundry like every-other-day. One load of darks keeps the pile to a bare minimum. Sick, I know. And. Jon. Helps. Yeah, I’m lucky that way.
Annie K’s last blog post..Happy Valentines Day
11 All Rileyed Up // Feb 16, 2009 at 8:17 pm
It doesn’t seem to matter how much laundry I do — there’s always more And thank you for admitting to putting the dog towel on your face. I always pretend like those things don’t happen, because I’m scared of “what will they think of me???!!!”
12 Beth // Feb 16, 2009 at 9:31 pm
The “besides that” had me almost rolling on the floor…ahhh…honesty….
I do some sort of laundry pretty much every day and the pile never goes away….ever….never ever…nope…always there….but it’s still better than dishes!
13 Steph at the Red Clay Diaries // Feb 16, 2009 at 9:51 pm
Christy- I love finding long-lost sisters! That seems to be what my blog does for me: I admit to some crazy thing & hope that at least one person can relate.
Katdish- In time, my dear. Patience, she is a virtue.
Elizabeth- Ick. Laundry is bad enough. After-stomach-virus laundry is awful. No hiding under THAT pile.
Daniel- That would so be me. It would only take a week for me to go from “Thanks Mom!” to “Man, I wish she wouldn’t have stuff for me to put away EVERY day…”
Jo- Oh, but it WAS romantic! Okay, not really. When we were cleaning, we were both GRUMPY because we hate it so much.
Fringegirl. Shut. Up. No, I’m happy you got to test drive the control tops. The only reason I’m not jealous is that I just got to wear spanx at my conference last week.
Helen- I did more laundry today. For the first time in …forever, I’m caught up. Time to put it off for another two weeks!
Annie K- You shut up too. You’re the kind of person I need to be friends with. I’m useless all by my ADD self.
Riley- What, you don’t want to admit wearing the dog towel? How bout the wool coat with more dog hair than any other fiber? Or is that just me?
Beth- I actually prefer dishes. Okay, maybe that’s not true. I just don’t forget all about the dishes since they confront me in the kitchen every day. Laundry hides for days, then jumps out and buries me.
14 Candy // Feb 16, 2009 at 10:40 pm
Ahhh, and laundry is my love language! And I got a visit from the laundry fairy today! Should have sent him to your place on Saturday, but he was busy channel-surfing (HIS love language).
15 sherri // Feb 16, 2009 at 11:12 pm
I wore a very FANCY pantsuit to work today.
I’ll have to wear a dreaded skirt tomorrow.
You know why.
Nothing else is clean!
If Big AL would just get off his….
16 Helen // Feb 17, 2009 at 9:43 am
Annie, actually Bob does the laundry most of the time, but he hurt his knee, and I don’t want him going up and down the stairs.
17 Kim @ Forever Wherever // Feb 17, 2009 at 10:53 pm
What a funny post! I enjoyed it! Laundry is not my favorite thing. I’m the worst person in the world when it comes to ironing! My poor husband!
-Kim
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