Tuesday, August 14, 2012

In the Heat of the Moment

We've been out for a cooling drive in the air-conditioned car.  Getting out of the car, the warm, humid air hits me.  Pushing open the door to the house, there is very little temperature difference.

The dog greets me saying she needs to go out and then maybe have a little bit more water. The cat is yelling something about the dog pushing past the chair barricade and eating all the cat food in his bowl and, that being said, I'd better do something about it, or else.

The cat food is in the laundry room where I suddenly remember that load of clothes in the wash that have to be put in the dryer before they begin to sprout, OR having already missed the window of opportunity, either have to be washed again or taken outside and set free. Ah, they are still sweet smelling.  I grab more clothes and start another load of wash while they dry.

With those chores done, I towel off, grab a half dozen ice cubes and throw them in a glass with water post haste, before I give in to the inclination to toss them down my shirt instead.   I sit down for a few minutes with my iPad and tap Words With Friends to find that it's my turn again. My husband has played on all three games that we have going, and he is ahead of me by 150 points on a game that is really stupid, and by 58 points on one that is being played under protest. On the third game I am ahead by 15.  This is a very good game, and has been my favorite in fact.  But now with 6 vowels (e,e,e,i,i,o) and a q. I am thinking this game is losing some of its appeal, and I'm feeling too warm again.

Too bad, warm or not, it is time to Swiffer the house.  A Golden Retriever and a Maine Coon create a nest-like environment in short order.  So chasing dust bunnies is a frequent occurrence.  If I vacuum, the hair hares (they are not cute like "dust bunnies" would imply) scatter all over the place.  The Roomba we tried once stopped working immediately after sensing that there would be actual work to do here.  So it was back to me.

One thing I've taught the dog to do to help me out some is to shake before she comes in the house.  A cloud of excess hairs fly off into the all outdoors where true nest builders can use them.  Ever helpful in controlling the hair hare population, the dog also allows me to vacuum her.  She now will track you down if the vacuum is running and get under the nozzle of the vacuum cleaner.  We haven't tried the beater bar, but I'm picturing that as even more efficient. 

While the dog loves being vacuumed, the cat does not.  The cat tolerates brushing for a short while and only on particular days.  You will know if it's gone on too long or if it's not the right day.  The cat never makes you guess.

So my routine is: Swiffer the house, vacuum the dog, brush the cat, apply band aides, vacuum the house. 

And now, I think I hear something growing in the washing machine. I must be going. Towel down, throw laundry in dryer, towel down, get ice cubes, throw them down my shirt.  Forget the glass with water.

8 comments:

  1. I'm getting the impression that it's hot?

    I know all about dog hair...

    Hey, I was just wondering if you'd be willing to drop by and download "The Kitchen Table" (even though you already have it) and leave a review. See, since you left a review for "The Tunnel," I will probably never leave you alone! :P
    Oh, and it's free through the end of the day.

    Did you finish Charter Shorts, yet?

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    1. I haven't finished Charter Shorts, but love it so far. The Tunnel was spectacular and now I have The Kitchen Table (like I need another) and am excited to continue the story! Thanks for letting me know it was out there. I've been pretty much off my blogging for a week or so, so have been out of touch. Looking forward to fall. And cool.

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    2. Well, I can't wait to hear what you think about the whole thing when you finish with it :)

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  2. You are too funny with this litany of every day life. I understand. I've read this through several times and begin chuckling where the cat is tattling on the dog and my laughter continues until your final line. I hope your heat breaks, we have a day off from HOT, but it's coming back tomorrow.

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  3. I've been hot all summer, Donna, but you've shared this day of hot much funnier than I ever thought it could be. We, like Elsie, finally got some cool yesterday. It was heavenly! I'm glad you have the right tools for the right animals. We had a sheepdog for a long while, & he did not like the vacuum. Thanks for the good laugh!

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  4. You make every day tasks so whimsical and close to the heart. We no longer have pets, at last, because of a lot of things, and a lot had to do with clean up. I do miss the and cat, but not the responsibilities. My kids have enough pets to keep me happy now and then. I use to take my long-haired cat to the vets for a shave. He loved it! He always came home and acted like he was so proud and comfortable. Clothes growing sprouts is one thing I also try to avoid. Thanks for welcoming me back.

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  5. "Hair hare!" That is just too funny! But as all of us pet owners know, too true!

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  6. Yeah - I've got that summer washing machine thing going on in my house too - I just can't remember to flip the laundry!

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