Down The Wire

it is 11:15 a.m. I'm scrambling to finish the house for pesach.  yes, I know that pesach is on Monday night.  And yes, I know that we have one more Shabbat to get through. I will be watching the kids tomorrow and on sunday.  I want to have the house, more or less, pesach cleaned by tonight. 

it was pretty hot yesterday and we couldn't stay very long at the playground.  both kids were pretty wild.  my grandson was shooting us with his water gun and I did not appreciate it.  by evening, it was cold and I was still wet.  I showered them both and couldn't wait for them to go home.  I was zonked fom pesach cleaning.  I hit the television couch and much to my delight, I found the seventh season of 'the  good wife'.  I watched one episode and fell asleep.  I woke up a bit later and couldn't move.  I was able to get up to fetch some pesach cake and some milk.

I entered the living room this morning and lifted out two of the windows.  I couldn't do this last year.  I quickly washed the windows and ran to my neighbor for help.  I could not put the windows back in by myself.  I felt pretty desperate.  I was afraid to leave the windows standing upright.  as soon as my neighbor left I went back to bed.  that really finished me. my shoulder took a hit.  like a gluten for punishment, I went back to the living room and took out the remaining two windows.  once again, I had to run to another neighbor to ask for help.

I quickly sponged the floor and voila! the room is done.  I have to finish washing the floors in the master bedroom and porch area.  I did the windows yesterday before the kids came over.  the bedrooms are already made up for pesach night.  I have to wash the kitchen chairs and floor today.  I will try to get to the counters, too.  I also have to give the cabinets a good polishing and I will be through.  right now I need to take a rest.  I managed to catch up on the laundry.  tomorrow, I will eat salami sandwiches for Shabbat.

I am hoping to be able to do the prep work on sunday.  I have tons of nuts to crack and vegetables to peel.  I hope the kids will let me work.  I am afraid to let them alone for too long.  they are into matches these days.  my grandson set a small fire to my couch pillow outside.  I will have to play it by ear.  yesterday, I went to town and managed to pay my elctric bill, the city taxes and water bill.  I was also able to sell my chometz at the rabbinate.  I bought two packages of romaine lettuce and a small piece of horseradish.

when I got back I found a gift package in front of my door.  I got canned corn, mushrooms, tuna fish, a bottle of grape juice and a bottle of oil.  I also got a jar of mayonnaise, a box of pesach cookies, a package of rice, some bambas and a floor towel.  I bought a kilo of square matzah for the kids and I have a kilo of round matzah for me.  I have been subsisting on tuna fish, corn and potato chips. 

I managed to strip the couch of its slip covers and washed them.  it was a synch getting them back on.  I can't understand why I never thought about doing this.  for the past 17 years, I have been dousing the couch with soapy water.  I can't afford to reupholster the couch.   I can't even swing a new couch cover but at least, it smells clean and fresh.  I am happy.  I look at the streaked, freshly cleaned windows and say my new mantra, 'it's good enough".

Epilogue:  it's 8:00 p.m. in the holy city of safed.  I just finished washing the floor in the master bedroom and porch.  I had to take a long break today.  the living room windows did me in.  someone called at around 2:00 p.m. and I couldn't get off the couch to answer the phone.  I was too tired to talk and definitely too tired to mind the kids.  I ate way too much and passed out.  I got up around 6:00 p.m. and threw tons of soapy water around the room.  I still have some clothes to put away but I will do it in the morning.  the room is mostly made up.