And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair. ~ Kahlil Gibran



Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Snowball Effect

I have been trying to take my "5 minutes" whenever I do something. It doesn't always happen that way, but I have been taking 2 minutes here and 7 minutes there, and I am noticing a difference around Barefoot Manor. Monday, I even did all the laundry in the house. Really. All the laundry.

Well, I didn't wash the curtains or the comforters on the beds, but I'm not counting them.

Anyway. Today the funniest thing happened. I was on the phone with a friend, and my eye was drawn across the room to the fingerprints smeared all over the light switch. Never missing a beat in the conversation, I went in to the kitchen, grabbed a sponge, and cleaned off the light switch. I think it took 15 seconds.

Then I noticed... something... splattered on the wall next to the light switch (hey, I have a 5 yr old. Don't judge me). So I wiped that off, too. As I was walking into the kitchen with the phone still stuck to my ear, I noticed that something had dripped down the side of my white cupboard. Since the sponge was already damp and in my hand, I figured it would be smart to just clean that up while I was there.

Then I noticed the fingerprints on the cupboard door right next to the drip. And the baseboards were pretty dusty. And what the heck is that, anyway, splattered down the side of the stove?! And this black mark that I have been sweeping over on the floor for... well, I forgot how long... I wonder if I can just wipe that up, too.

Next thing I knew, I was sitting on the floor in front of the kitchen sink, with the stove pulled out and a bucket of water sitting next to me. I had three kinds of scrubbies and sponges (cuz I like the right tool for the job, ya know), the broom, and a dust rag all spread out around me. All while talking on the phone.

And now my stove is sparkling, oven cleaner is even now eating away at the baked on crud inside the oven, and I have scrubbed the back of the stove, the cupboards around it, the floor and wall behind it, and the stove hood.

What happened here?! Somehow... some way... 15 seconds spiralled into over an hour of vigorous (if one-handed) cleaning. All while I carried on a conversation on the phone.

It's pretty crazy, when you think about it.

4 comments:

webb said...

Not crazy at all! It's called multi-tasking and it's the only way that any cleaning gets done at my house at all... especially the kitchen. You have learned a new skill.

Enjoy your phone calls. they are so productive!

Frugal Down Under said...

That's very cool indeed! How great you must have felt when you got off the phone and looked about at your success. I don't chat on the phone so that tip wont work with me - my addiction is blogspot but I can't watch and clean. (I've tried - it didn't work)

Rev. Peter Doodes said...

After having 3 lumps removed last year and now recovering from my recent yearly colonoscopy (all clear) I was feeling a tad down, but not after this post! Thanks barefoot.

PS. Just think what you could have done if you had a speaker phone.

Lisa said...

Can you come to my house and work your magic??