Welcome to AvantaLand

With a cool fresh gaze, I surveyed my domain this morning. And promptly lifted up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

I'll spare you the horrific details, but here's my to-do list:

• Kitchen: Do dishes; clean counters and floors; put away clutter.
  
• Master bedroom: Change sheets, dust furniture, vacuum carpet, put away clutter.
  
• Master bath: Demolish and rebuild. Clean tub, shower, floors, and counters; put away clutter.
  
• Living room: Dust furniture, put away clutter, vacuum carpet. Find someplace other than next to the fireplace to stash yarn and yarn-related items.
  
• Hall: Spot clean and vacuum carpet.
  
• Dining room: Put away clutter, vacuum carpet.
  
• My office: Throw hands up in despair. Organize and put away clutter.
  
• Spouse's office: Do not touch with a 49-1/2 foot pole. (The easiest one on the list, and the first accomplished. *beam*)
  
• Laundry room: Wash, dry and put away an entire wardrobe's worth of laundry, put away clutter.

Beware, O ye dirt. Despair, thou soap scum, clutter, and dust bunnies. I am on a mission.

So naturally I called my mother, which went better than I expected. We chitchatted for about ten minutes about general stuff: I told her about spouse's recruitment interview and his follow-up interview coming up next week; she talked about taking Grandma out to a family friend's house Friday night to play Mexican Train (a form of dominoes). My grandmother was quite the domino player in her day, and had a good time, although they had a good laugh at themselves on the way home at 9:30 that night. Grandma said, "Look at me. I'm 96 years old. What am I doing out this late?"

Church this morning consisted of arriving much too early for choir practice, but being welcomed into the band rehearsal with open arms. The sermon was tangentially connected to the opening of The Da Vinci Code this Friday: a sermon entitled "The Christ Code." I can't tell you how much I appreciate the open-mindedness of this congregation. Not only did our minister have nothing bad to say about the novel or the movie, she said she and her husband have a babysitter for Friday night so they won't miss opening night. (She did make the point I always make when discussing this book -- it's fiction, folks: a rollicking good yarn but nothing more.)

This afternoon spouse and I washed our cars and cleaned the garage floor. Now, the washing machine churns away; a steak thaws on the counter, its destiny the grill; and the final episode of The West Wing airs in less than two hours.

It's been a lovely day.

I did as little as possible today.

Oh, I had grand plans: take the ornaments off the Christmas tree and put away the mantel decorations; change the sheets; do the laundry; clean the bathrooms. But no. I had an attack of the lazies. I suspect I'm catching up on all those days spouse was home with me and I had no time to myself. So instead of working, I read, played on the internet, read some more, made my reservations for the convention, took the dog for a walk or two. It's been cold and damp outside all day, and I kept the thermostat down pretty low in the house as well but turned the gas fire on. No energy savings here! Oh well.

About 4:30 I finally showered and got dressed because I had to go to the grocery store for a few things. And now a pot of chicken is stewing for chicken and dumplings. Garlic bread sticks and a salad will complete the dinner menu, although spouse won't be home until well after 8 and I'll probably end up eating by myself.

I finished book #3 for 2005. Time to pick up book #4. I've got about an hour before the chicken is done stewing.

The spouse is gone, the dog has been walked, the bed has been made. Time to color my hair and relax in a nice hot tub....and then tackle the housework.