The Domestic Goddess...

Otherwise known as... You Never Know When You're Going to Spill Nail Polish...

I worked late this evening, putting in a ten hour day at My Small Town High School.  Because I missed seven whole days of work during the first two weeks that school was back in session after Christmas, I'm a bit buried at the moment.  Yesterday I spent the day on filling out transfer grade forms for our teachers who have students who came mid-quarter. 

I should have done these forms as soon as the student enrolled.

I don't always do as I should.  I have 500 students assigned to me... I get busy.

Nonetheless, if I were a better-organized, Martha Stewart-esque school counselor, I would do everything in a timely, well-organized manner.  I am getting there.

At the end of my day today, I dealt with the last remaining box from our move into the newly renovated Administration Building at My Small Town High School, and cleaned and organized my expansive L-shaped desk.

I love my new office.  I love its carpet, its painted walls, its lack of cinder block indentations.  I just wish it had a real window that was actually eye level... or at least, semi-eye level.

I work in the public school system.  I can't have it all.

My desk looked really good when I left at five o'clock, and I know exactly what I am going to do when I get to work in the morning.  That's a great feeling.

I got home a few minutes before 5:30.  I was going to make dinner but the chicken I had bought just a few days ago had gone bad.  Chicken makes me crazy.  Mom told me, That's okay.  I haven't had cereal in a while.

My dad worked evenings when he went to work in his second career as a custodian in My Ever-Growing School District.  Mom is used to fending for herself when it comes to dinnertime.  She hates to cook.  I was planning on making an easy, delicious dinner of chicken thighs, chopped tomatoes, black olives, and onions... but the chicken had other plans.  That's okay.  Like I said, Mom is used to doing her own dinner thing.  I made my way to the couch and she told me she was going to go into the computer room.

That's okay; I didn't want to talk to you anyway. 

You don't mind, do you?

Mom, I was joking.

Of course I don't mind.  I was feeling a bit tired myself.  Still am.

A few days ago my mother surprised me in a couple of different ways.  Although she hates to cook and doesn't particularly enjoy cleaning, she is... a domestic goddess.  These are the two reasons why:

1.  My mother can get any stain out of any article of clothing.  She is really gifted in this area.  Last week I was touching up polish on my big toe when a huge glob of sparkly fuchsia nail polish dropped onto my lovely bath rug with bamboo accents.  We're talking bright.  Pink.  Nail polish. 

I let it sit for a couple of days, cursing myself that I had let this treasured household item become sullied by my heathen bright pink nail polish.  Then, I told Mom about it. 

Mom, I got nail polish on my bath rug.  Think you can do anything about it?

Oh yeah!  Sounds like a job for Awesome!

Do you know about Awesome?  If not, you should.  I'm not sure where she got it, but Mom soaked my beloved bamboo-accented bathrug in Awesome for about three days.  When she washed the rug, there was no nail polish to be found. The rug looks like new.

I can't believe it.  Okay, so that's domestic goddess proof number 1.

2.  My mom knows how to fold fitted sheets.  The other day I had washed the king-sized sheets that I was using at Chuck's, where I slept on a king-sized bed.  I needed to fold the fitted sheet.  I hate fitted sheets.  No one can fold them and make them look like they are supposed to.

No one but Martha Stewart that is... and my mother... mild-mannered and despising the kitchen by day... domestic goddess by morning.

I imagine that Mom's sisters have the same fitted sheet folding skills, just as they all make their beds with hospital corners.  I missed out on the fitted sheet tutelage, but that's okay.  Mom attempted to show me the other night, but I'm going to have to study this feat on more than one occasion until I feel like I can own it. 

My mom really amazes me in so many ways.  She crashes about the kitchen, but then at the end of the day, she has the best-kept housekeeping skills. I love her for that, and for so many other things.

Tonight Mom and I had a good talk, and then she went back to the computer room to do her computer thing.  I told her I was about to write my blog.  Oh yeah?  Anything good?

Tonight I'm going to write about you, Mom. 

You just remember I brought you into this world... 


She didn't have to finish the sentence.  I know she would never take me out.  She has the best sense of humor.

I love her for that.  And when you have a chance, pick up Awesome.  You never know when you're going to spill nail polish on your beloved bathroom rug.