A Time Of Firsts

Being the cool folks that we are, Kristine and I were helping with the 3^rd Annual Fashion Unchained fundraiser recently for the Coalition to Unchain Dogs. Most of you reading this weren’t there and as such, aren’t as cool as we are. No worries, I’m sure you get by.

Anyway, part of the fun is the silent auction. Bidding for locally donated goods and services to benefit the group. Every year we win something and this year Kristine was determined to win a house cleaning service. Not only because she likes a clean house, but also because they were a “green” service and this was a charity event. Of course we won; when she’s determined, she can strike down other bidders like some kind of crazed Auction Ninja.

So this would be the first time we had a cleaning service. The timing was great because we had guests coming in for the weekend and we were also getting our AC repaired (unfortunately not a first). Kristine had already discussed the general plan of attack with the service’s general manager and I knew she could walk the cleaners through the details easily that morning. Which made it all the more fun when she said I’d have to do it because she was off to do other stuff. Leaving me in charge of anything aside from microwave popcorn was also a first, but probably not a good one.

I don’t know much about cleaning, but I do know about people’s general fear of dogs, and all of mine specifically, so at least I put them outside. But another first happened when they said they weren’t afraid. The deal was for 2 people for 2 hours. Kristine left a priority list, mostly downstairs to up. I went over that with them and they suggested up to down as easier. I had to assume they knew their business so agreed.

I led them around and detailed things and then left them to it. A minute later they returned with a serious look and discussion. They needed bleach, or something stronger. Because they were a “green” service, they did not carry such chemicals. But because they didn’t have the sheer arm power of an orangutan or gritty skin like a crocodile, they could think of no other way to clean my bathroom. Even with the CLR I gave them, they were unsure.

About 1.5hrs into it, Kristine returned. Hearing they were upstairs, she thought they were almost done. I had to explain the change of plan to her and admit that most of the time seemed to have been spent in my bathroom. When she was done with the verbal abuse at that, she settled down a bit seeing them working so fast downstairs then. A 30 minute blur of vacuuming, mopping and wiping, and they were done.

We did a quick inspection and noticed that for the first time since we moved in, my bathroom actually looked like one. I got in the shower, and noticing just how much I could see yelled out, “I can see Russia from here!” I asked about the cleaning and CLR and they admitted that they got dizzy a lot in the small space, but took turns. That’s some serious willpower there.

Turns out they threw out anything they thought of as trash. My soap is missing. How sad is that if someone thinks your soap is dirty?!

May your “firsts” be ever more pleasant.