Separate is Good

I'm still on vacation.  I'll finish out this week of holidays and return to work on Monday.  I shouldn't even be thinking about that yet but it passed through my head.  I'm looking at it from the standpoint that I don't have to go back just yet.  Good for me!

I started today by going to the gym.  I wanted to make sure I got out and got it done before I let myself think about how very cold it is and has been.  But I also knew I had to be back at home before 10:00 am because Jay had arranged to have the house cleaned for me.  Yes.  The house cleaned.

"But the house is clean - mostly," I said.

"Yes.  It is.  But they can do the blinds and the baseboards."

I thought about that.  "That sounds, okay."  I was thinking I hadn't done any of that in a...never.  But it didn't help to make me any less uncomfortable that someone else would be coming in to clean up my mess.
Wouldn't they think I should be doing this myself?  Wouldn't they think I'm some sort of lazy slob that can't get up and do what I should be doing on my own?

"What's the matter," Jay asked.

"Nothing,"  I lied.

"They get paid to do this, you know.  It's how they make their money.  Besides, why not let someone else do it and give yourself a break.  Just look at it as a Birthday present."

"You already got me a new coffee machine," I protested.

Jay gave me a look.  Then he said, "they can also do a deep cleaning of the bathrooms."

That's when it dawned on me.  This was a good deal.  Jay usually cleans the bathrooms.  It crossed my mind that maybe he wanted to get out of doing that himself.  But I've lived here with him long enough and before with our two boys to know how horrific bathrooms can get and I've always left that for them to clean.  Well, I leave it as much as I can stand for them to clean before I go in to clean it myself.  This might be a good deal after all.

"So, I guess so,"  I agreed and he called them up.

Now I'm here at home waiting patiently as the cleaning crew of two go through my house, dusting, mopping and deep cleaning bathrooms.  It's a birthday gift.  A one time deal.  I guess I'll live through it if only they would hurry and go.  This is uncomfortable and awkward for me.

Who knows?  They seem to be doing a really good job.  Maybe I'll take advantage of these birthday gifts when it's all done.  I'll make myself a cup of coffee from my new coffeemaker and sip the hot drink while sitting on the edge of the deeply cleaned tub overlooking the landscape of the sparkling and sanitized bathroom. I could combine the two gifts while I'm still on vacation.  Let me think about that.

Maybe not.  No.  I think I will appreciate them much more if I enjoy them both separately.  Yes.  These are two new sparkling gifts I will definitely enjoy more separately.
TT