Smug alert

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Please excuse any excess self-congratulation! I’m used to beating myself up for not doing stuff, or for doing it but not “good enough” – I thought it was about time that I gave myself a pat on the back for doing, even if not doing brilliantly.

Woke up 6-ish on Sunday, fiddled around till about 8, then outside when the sun was up enough over the other block to be inviting; put the last scrubbed pots away and thought, what next?

Decided that now would be a good time have a go at the wall on the left side: I’d been wanting to paint it for some time (actually bought some paint on my last visit to the local hardware shop, so giving me one less excuse for not doing it), but thought it could very likely do with a scrub beforehand – don’t know how much of the bricks’ colouring is built-in and how much is grime. I’ve scrubbed it a couple of times since moving in, but another one wouldn’t hurt.

So heigh-ho with bucket, all-purpose cleaner and deck scrubber. I’m taking the different stonework just above the top of my windows to be the upward limit of “my” space and tried to reach that far, with middling success; didn’t fancy going up and down a stepladder while carrying a scrubbing brush, leaving me only one hand to hand on with! The deck scrubber reached most of it, but it didn’t half make my arms ache! so it’s not done as thoroughly as the lower portions.

Spot the difference …

Scrubbed the paving there while I was at it; it’s still a rather grotty grey, but at least a lighter shade then previously.

Had a cuppa, then decided that, as the space was clear, I should have a go at the windows too: I don’t do them nearly as often as I should (I think the rules of tenancy say that they have to be done at least once a fortnight, or they used to when I was able to read them!). One advantage of pivoting windows is that you can do both sides from the outside; saves risk of spillage indoors and don’t have to clear a path to the windows inside. The only snag is if you have mobiles hanging in front of the windows just close enough to get caught up every time the window is rotated! so there’s another job to be done later, moving those hooks a bit further away.

Did both sides of the windows on the bedroom (not very well, I was using the all-purpose cleaner again, to see how it went), then the kitchen, then thought I might as well do the lounge ones as well – which meant clearing away half the stuff I’d stacked there to be out of the way of the table-sorting I’d done over the previous few days. Did both sides of them, too, then awarded myself a sit-down in the sun. Went in to make a cuppa, and noticed that it was still only ten to three! Gosh.

Had my cuppa and then had another go at the windows; they were very smeary, and I dislike smudged windows as much as I dislike smudged specs, and for the same reason. This time I used vinegar in the water and they came up a treat.

The day was still warm, so I wondered what else I could do. Did think about starting to paint, but wanted to make sure the bricks were perfectly dry – also wanted to leave something for tomorrow. Also, to be honest, thought I’d done enough for one day!

Time was I couldn’t even do one set of windows without needing at least a day to recover after – to find that I can now do all the windows (twice!) after a hectic session of wall-scrubbing and deck-scrubbing still somewhat amazes me. And only a day or so after my compost convoy, and days spent lugging plants and tables about, and trucking sacks of dirt to the bins … lol this is keep-fit-by-gardening!

Of course, while I’ve been doing all this, nothing in the house has been touched – but then, it probably wouldn’t have been, anyway.

• 2 Apr, 2012
• 2 likes

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