My freezer is clean.
And I don’t mean a little clean. We’re talkin’ spotless, disinfected with a blend of white vinegar and bergamot essential oil. You could literally eat off the surface of the inside of the freezer. Not that you would want to, that’d be weird.
I’d love to say its clean because I’m one of those people who cleans things on the regular.
I once watched a Youtube lady educate me on how to disinfect my front load washer (click for link, just in case you need it!). She said we should do all these steps to disinfect the washer every month. And the whole time I was thinking, “lady, how do you find time to do all this EVERY month?!” The washer’s purpose, after all, is to help ME clean other things. Not to be an object that also demands to be cleaned!
But truth be told, I’m a crisis-cleaner.
For example: Saturday I woke up to a small lake of melted vanilla Bluebell ice-cream and water (past life of ice cubes) invading our kitchen. This was due to the fact that the power in our house was cut off by a giant storm the night before. And thus begins my cleaning process, all initiated by a what is a small, but certain, crisis.
How was I supposed to know to attend to the freezer when the power went out?
I was too busy trying to figure out a method to charge my cell phone and weighing the pros and cons of attending church with B.O. because the power apparently is what fuels our hot water heater. These are the things I’ve been focused on. Not the fact that the delicate contents in the freezer are all slowly melting.
Other “crisis-cleaner” past situations include things like:
When I realized our clothes actually smelt worse after washing them and found the front load washer to be a harvest grounds for various strains of mold. (Hence the youtube lady who has ALL the time to clean her washer.)
And there may have also been an occasion in high school when I decided my locker finally had to be cleaned out because every time I opened it, small bugs would fly out….Who knew that an orange had been left in there and managed to turn green and white with mold?
So thats what I mean by crisis-cleaner, for those of you who actually disinfect your washer monthly and do pro-active things like that.
But I’d like to think that everyone in our household has a stronger immune system thanks to my “crisis-cleaning.”
Aside from mopping up ice cream and smelling funky, I actually noticed a few positives as our weekend without power unfolded:
All this to say, its been an interesting weekend. It’s weird how you can glean little gems from situations that you would never choose. Like eating Chik-Fil-a by candlelight which was actually fun. But, for now, I’m grateful to have hot water, lights, the garage door, the freezer and fridge and our wifi back on.
1. On saturday morning, we actually met and played with some new neighbors.
Without TV, and internet, lots of kids were out and about. We all ended up congregating at a neighbors house and created a set of games that the kids partook in up and down the cul-de-sac. Of-course Ray was less than sold on partaking in the races, but he watched a little, threw his rocks in the ditch and I *think* enjoyed the company of the other kids.Neighbors help each other.
2. Helping each other.
Our neighbors ended up getting a generator and as I type this, a few items that I was able to savage from our fridge are now in their occupying their fridge. So thank you, Martins. I’m so glad our Halloween-Philsbury cookies don’t have to be tossed along with the Bluebell.
3. You take things less for-granted.
Dear garage door opener, washer, dryer, dishwasher, water heater: I have a new found respect for all of you. And you poor people without power in California! I feel for you. Come take a shower at my house anytime.
4. Yard work?
I actually did some yard work this weekend. I don’t know if this is really connected to not having power, or its just starting to look like a crisis out there, but I’m throwing it in.
5. Resilience.
Not referring to myself here. I have no resilience, thats why I don’t like the power being out. This is also why I don’t sign up for stupid things like camping trips (which essentially is the same as volunteering for the power to be out). But Ray seems rather unconcerned about the fact that pretty much everything is “broke, broke” as he says and has continued to have a wonderful time playing and entertaining himself. I am so amazed by kids’ resilience. We could defiantly stand to learn this skill from them. Click HERE for the post on how my toddler taught me humility.
Did I mention our freezer is clean?!
Until next time, Cheers y’all!