Beloved Rubbish Receptacle

First things First.....this is what happens when my hair is dirty and short. It is general silliness. But it causes me great happiness. It helps to be familiar with Harry Styles since I teach middle school choir.

Next....and this is really why I'm here. I am protective of my garbage can. I can become quite hostile about it. I have had my kitchen garbage can for 12 years. Twelve. 1.2. double digits. 12. I am proud of this accomplishment. It has survived 5 moves. Sounds crazy, but the thought of getting a new garbage can makes me anxious. In a not so good way. Hostile.

Why? I don't know how many plastic garbage cans my family went through at 1004 Winter St., but I hated them. Lids were not needed. Trash bags were not always available. You know what that means? A really gross, smelly garbage can that had to be cleaned by yours truly. Outside water hose, liquid detergent, a sponge, sometimes a bit of bleach. No gloves. Just elbow grease. 

This is one of those things that I said, "When I grow up, I'm not gonna let my trash can get gross and smelly. I will always have a trash bag available." 

And I have for 12 years. Through years of financial despair, I have managed to always have trash bags.  Even if I order a case of the trash bag that I prefer from Amazon which usually lasts for 2 years (the case, not 1 single bag). As a result, I have rarely had to clean my trash can. It doesn't smell. It isn't gross. It is not allowed to pile up high with trash. If the Rock Star ignores the piled up trash - I take it out to the dumpster or nag him until he takes it out. If I have to nag him, I always make sure he has to take at least 2 bags out plus dispose of the cat litter.

Hefty Easy Flaps with Gripper are my preferred trash bag. They have stopped making them, so I am forced to find a new trash bag that satisfies my needs. I do not like drawstring trash bags, but the variety is slim these days. Since I only buy brand name trash bags, it is gonna have to be drawstring. Hefty Ultimate with Gripper has been found and tested. It satisfies me.

The next obstacle is the dog. You would think The Firstborn Child was the first obstacle in keeping my trash can. No. She was never interested in throwing random items in the trash. The dog is a different story. She is a 5 month old 26 pound shepherd mix puppy. She can tip her nose up to the rim of the trash can. She sniffs curiously. The day is coming when she will attack the trash can because of leftover food that she smells. 

So I ask myself.....Will I need a lid for my beloved trash can? Sterilite no longer makes this particular can - it is 12 years old. I'll have to look for a new trash can. Everytime I begin the quest, my heart becomes sad. The only thing to do is remove myself from the search until I am desperate. Until the day I have to buy a new trash can. 

But my beloved trash can has successfully survived 12 years. My short term goal is 15 years. Long term is 25 years. It is good to have goals.

Running Amok

Amok? Amuck? However you prefer to spell it.  

I don't run amok. It does not agree with me. I prefer to live 85% prepared for all parts of life. I figure that about 15% of my life I will not be able to predict - car maintenance, TX snowstorm, unemployment, a random act of kindness, etc..

Routines makes me happy. The routine that I love the most is doing the laundry. Once a week. Not during the week. Potty training has made me break that personal rule. I'd rather do laundry than wash the dishes or clean the bathrooms. Clean clothes are a priority. I don't like to iron. I'll use the steamer or take it to the drycleaner. Usually every Saturday or Sunday is devoted to doing the laundry. By Sunday evening, I want every bit of clothing in my home to be clean, folded, hung up, and put away in its proper place. This laundry routine makes me ready for the work week. It creates a clean slate. 

Every 3 months or so, I get a little lazy. Everything is clean but still in baskets - I can live like this for 2-3 weeks before short circuiting. Every 6 months of so, I get a lot lazy. Not all of the loads get washed and we just work off of the available clean clothes. That happened last weekend. I didn't care to finish. So today, I am on a mission to regain my life. After everything was sorted, most of the baskets looked Mohammad had brought six mountains to this little molehill. It is an all day job to conquer, but life is restored and Momma is happy once again.

The way that I run amok is the use of too many personal pronouns and really pitiful sentence structure. 

Things I don't celebrate

Being raised Southern Baptist, I don't celebrate Lent. But I love McD's Filet O Fish. Confession: I don't even pretend to understand the significance of Lent. I understand fish. It understands me. It is my food group of choice. I went off the deep end and tried Chick-Fil-A's fish sandwich 2 days ago. Just call me Benedict Arnold because it was better. 

My Dad was an alcoholic, so holidays with a direct connection to alcohol do not hold my interest.I don't make a big deal out of New Year's Eve, St. Patrick's Day, or Super Bowl Sunday. If that one gets moved to Saturday, it just might be declared a national holiday. Pity.

My Mom was an event planner/florist, so every other holiday in life probably needs flowers. But I refuse to spend money on flowers knowing that no one makes money in that business. Unless you are willing to set profit margins so high that only the wealthy can buy flowers and pay for delivery.

I celebrate Christmas & Easter, but my absolute favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. Time & food with family without the pressure of gifts.

Finally, there are birthdays. I celebrate them. Not with fanfare. To me, a birthday is simply a day to recognize your entrance into this world. It needs nothing more than my favorite food and my immediate family. Other people's birthdays? They happen. And that, my friends, is another day's story.