Upkeeps a Bitch

Our doorbell rang at eight o’clock this morning. As I went to the door in my nightgown I remembered that I was getting our windows washed today.  It should have been at the forefront of my brain because more and more dead dried leaves have been obscuring my view as they blew into the cobwebs that were woven across almost every window.  Since Halloween is long past the spooky house bit was looking a little tired, time for a clearer perspective.

Quickly it became apparent that some of the 70-year-old windows in our house needed at least two people to try and pry them open.  Russ looked at me and asked if we needed to add new windows to the ever-growing list of replacement needs for our house.  In the past six months I got a new HVAC system, a new tank less hot water system, 15 yards of gravel for the driveway, 10 yards of compost for my vegetable garden as well as the windows washed.  And if you walked in my house you would probably not notice any of it, but it had to be done.  None of this includes the weekly cleaning and landscaping that has to get done.

My half-century body is the same way.  I have to go to the gym, the doctor, the dentist, and the hairdresser, take daily medication, use a vat of lotion and that is just to keep my body going at the status quo.  Even with all that maintenance systems still give out.  My left foot had plantar fasciitis for a year; just as I got that solved I had some muscle injury below the front of my left knee, literally the day that stopped hurting I pulled some muscle behind my left knee.  As Rosanna Danna would say, “If it’s not one thing, it’s another.”

I am hoping that in the New Year I can do more than up keep and perhaps actually upgrade.  We need to redo the floors in our house, that would be money spent I could see everyday.  I would love to wake up one day and have no pains, maybe for a week or two.  One big goal would be to make a huge dent in the giant list of house things we need to do.  Some things depend on money, but one thing that has been on his list for over more years than I have fingers is for me to clean out the attic.  That is a practically free upgrade except on my knees.  But cleaning out the attic is like adding new gravel to the driveway.  I know it is done, but I don’t really notice it, so why do it?  Jeez, I hate upkeep it’s so unglamorous.