Free!

[lexin]

Yippee! I am free of work until the 5th of January – at that point I come back to earth with a bump in the shape of a meeting in Leeds. But right now I can glory in having time off.

I'm off to the Aged P's for Christmas tomorrow, which I'm sort of looking forward to. I mean, it could be a lot worse, my brother has agreed to cook the Christmas dinner, a load of my mind. On the other hand, he insists on cooking everything from scratch; I never did that. Aunt Bessie and her range of yummy and easily-coped-with frozen comestibles is my friend. I am not at home to a paring knife.

I am still glorying in having someone who comes in and cleans, even if she did stand on my toilet seat and break it. There is a serious joy in vacuum cleaned carpets that you didn't do yourself. It has to be said also that the cleaner is much better at cleaning than I am – there are part of the flat which are now clean and which I barely knew existed. Behind the lavatory, for example. I vaguely knew there was a behind to the lavatory but I have ignored that fact since I moved in to the flat. In 1994. Other nothing-to-do-with-me-squire places are inside the oven and inside the microwave.

Comments

[leela_cat]

Congratulations on the time off. I'm about to be off until the 4th and it feels like an amazing gift.

Have a wonderful holiday!

[lexin]

Thanks and to you, too!

[melodyclark.livejournal.com]

Yes, housekeepers are a joy forever. I didn't even "see" dirty in full until my house was really cleaned one time.

[lexin.livejournal.com]

:-) I am a natural slattern and I make no bones about it.

[shezan.livejournal.com]

Squire, your cleaner is a BRAVE WOMAN, deserving of a glass or three of the strong stuff for Xmas!

... and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

[lexin.livejournal.com]

She is indeed!

[julesjones]

Did we not tell you that cleaners are a form of treatment for depression? :-)

Seriously, I'm really pleased that's helping you.

And while I enjoy cooking, I am all for quality ready meals as a means of cutting down stress when necessary. M&S is *my* friend, not least because I walk past the Manchester city centre food hall every night on my way to the bus. Much, much less stress than a special trip to Tesco's...

[lexin.livejournal.com]

It's brilliant, totally amazing and well worth the minor rearrangement of the finances.

[mandragora1.livejournal.com]

Ooops re the toilet seat. I don't think D is usually that clumsy as my place remains unscathed (and very clean) since she's been cleaning for me.

I am glad that she's working out okay (loo seat excepted) and that you're enjoying the whole having-a-cleaner experience :)

[lexin.livejournal.com]

It isn't D...thereby hangs a tale.

It turned out that she couldn't do the day she'd said, because one of her other clients couldn't or wouldn't change around. Or something - I confess I got a bit lost in the explanation. So D found me someone else, N, who is much younger than D. N's very good, but not quite as good at cleaning as D, who was exceptional and as you say probably wouldn't have stood on a toilet seat. N is, however, an amazing ironer.

I did as you suggested and made my Christmas box very generous.

[mandragora1.livejournal.com]

Ah, that explains the toilet seat. And at least N is a good cleaner and an amazing ironer, even if not quite as good at cleaning as D.

And young is good, in that she'll hopefully have lots of anthusiasm.

[gloria1.livejournal.com]

I think Auntie Bessie is a queen amongst women and I am always pleased to support her and her roast potatoes.

Am also intruiged by this 'inside' of the oven you speak of - is that like Narnia or something?

[lexin.livejournal.com]

I have always suspected it leads to some alternate universe where the actual cooking is done by small green dragons.