Cleaning Frenzy

Hey, Barb.

I'm ok. I did get busy/distracted; I got all OCD about cleaning my house yesterday and it's still only half-way back to normal from the Christmas decor. I just couldn't focus on anything else - except the two and a half hours I spent on line researching a new credit card to replace the million percent interest one I currently have. I am putting the entire anniversary party on the card so I decided to try to find something better. Dear lord, what a frustrating process. I think I got a good card, but I'm pretty sure there's a paragraph I missed in the reams of paperwork, that will result in my losing my house or my first grandchild if I slip up on payments. Who can process that much information??

Anyway, I got one room done - completely done, clean, dusted, vacuumed and slightly rearranged, just for fun. The horrible sage green furniture doesn't look any better angled than it does flush against the wall, but I tried. I put a few new (different) pieces out, and called it good. By the time that was all finished, it was dinner time and J was starving. I had put a roast in the crockpot, and, per usual, it came out dry and tough. No one ate much of it, so my signature risotto filled in. I need the secret to a good roast - I have never made one. Pork, I can do. Beef, not so much. Don't ask me why.

After dinner, J did the dishes and I helped JJ with his science project, which involved the playing of loud music, accompanied by JJ on the drums. (He's doing the affect of tempo on blood pressure.) It was pretty fun; hopefully the experiment will go as planned tonight: he has to measure the BP of six people at rest, during slow tempo music and during fast tempo music. Guess who the six people are...so I'll be making a big pot of white chicken chili and taking care of BLU this evening while JJ manipulates his guinea pigs. Of course this is all due tomorrow and should have been done over the break, but I really didn't feel like getting into it, so I never brought it up. Not that it's my fault - but I certainly didn't bother to remind him.

Today I hope to get the living room finished, which includes taking all that s**t off the tree - argh! I may hit Marshalls too since my coffee pot is broken and I just discovered that my cookware set, the one that cost a fortune 14 years ago and promised to never break down, is now shedding little flecks of teflon into whatever I cook. And, OCD or not, I'm sure I couldn't locate the original "lifetime guarantee" paperwork for that if my life depended on it.

Maybe I'll end by treating myself to a mani and a latte this afternoon, before everyone comes over. My nails are horrific - going on four weeks of decorating and housework and wrapping and peeling off tape - yeah, they're looking pretty good.

Sorry to have left you hanging this morning. Hope you had a good first day back and that you're getting into your groove today.

Love you!
A

P.S. Is the star new? Pier One? Do tell...