Clean and Pristine

I finally got the carpets cleaned and they look marginally better. Some stains refuse to budge. We're in the midst of rain and mud season so I can't get too anxious about it.

One of my daily chores is to vacuum or take the sticky roller to the dog hair on the inside of my car. It's a simple task that saves me from a prickly conversation with the husband.

Some people manage to keep their homes and cars in show-quality condition. I'm always envious of those people until they start endorsing rules like no shoes in the house or they have plastic covering all the furniture. I am not comfortable in my socks or bare feet with my skin adhered to the plastic. I want people to feel warm and comfortable in this house. We have very few rules.

Now that we've lost the oldies, my house will never be the same. She could devote several hours to cleaning out the refrigerator and scrubbing the range. This rarely makes my to-do list.

One of my friends makes everyone feel welcome in her home. She has very few rules. But she can't go to bed until everything is pristine.

I would never sleep again.

My Rules

Just saw the movie, Georgia Rule, with Jane Fonda, Felicity Huffman and Lindsay Lohan. It's a chick flick and I enjoyed it thoroughly, even though it received mixed reviews. Jane Fonda's character is a riot. She has many house rules and I'm thinking about taking a cue from her. Here are some of the rules I would love to enforce:

• Kitchen hours: Pick a 2-hour window for each meal and stick to it.
• Daily Plan: Get up, get dressed, go do something.
• Bedtime: Go to bed and stay there. No middle of the night roaming. No middle of the night snacking.
• Safety: No driving after a pain-killer. No frying while you're wobbly.
• Mealtime: No discussions of bodily functions (or malfunctions) while preparing or eating a meal.

Unfortunately, none of these will happen but a girl can fantasize.