Saturday, October 18, 2008

The Thirty Minute Gang


One afternoon right before school started, my neighbor and dear friend Pam Halgren payed me a visit. It just so happened that my garage door was opened and she commented it was amazingly cleaned and organized. (Okay...true confession here... a week prior, I had spent two days on the project to the point I could not move my arms or legs without extreme pain. For two nights following, I slept slathered in icy hot.) By the time she complimented my attached abode, I had completely recovered from cleaning it.

This seems to be a pattern -- or at least it has been.

I break my neck getting the place spit spot. I get my van washed and then pull it inside the protective walls of the newly cleaned space. I sigh at a job well done... and then... slowly, but surely while the car is gone... stuff starts to appear parking itself here and there all over the place. I come home, remotely opening the door to find that I cannot park inside. Usually, I am not in a position to do anything about it at the moment -- arms full of something or running somewhere or generally not feeling like doing it, and so... I park outside.

Days turn into weeks... and you know... I realize it's been a month or so since I've put my van in. Soon, I am kicking aside bats and skateboards and fishing items, laundry, bikes and trash bags headed for the garbage just so I can make a path to the door.

I can put up with the "how did this place get so out of control" thoughts only so long before I concede the after body pain is worth it.

This time I made a better plan. I called all three kids (Tim was nursing a surgeried wrist - so I didn't make him work) and I said -- "I need 30 minutes of your hard work helping me clean this garage." I told them we didn't necessarily have to get the whole garage done -- just work for 30 minutes.

I ignored the whining and moaning as if it wasn't happening and stood my ground, stating that if thirty minutes was too much... they could have forty five. Worked commenced fairly quickly and within the allotted time the garage was done. All items belonging in the shed were returned there. Autumn leaves belonging outside were swept hence. The trash was thus disposed. Laundry returned to the hampers and bikes were parked somewhere else besides the middle of the floor.

Four people times thirty minutes saved me from the usual icy hot application. A trip to the ice cream shoppe as bonus and the thirty minute clean job was completed with happy management and employees.

Next stop -- kids rooms -- although thirty may not be enough.

2 comments:

Kristin said...

Maybe now that your happy little helpers have contributed to the cleanup, they will be more aware when it comes to maintenance too. Good job!

Unknown said...

Maybe I could rent your happy little helpers for my garage! It could use some TLC.