stephbg | And I have the hips for it too

Big domestic goddess day today.

The ceiling squirrels arrived earlier than expected and got to work on the variety of holes, rough bits and chunks formerly known as my kitchen walls and ceiling. They then split the party, leaving one of them (the one who's name I can never recall, but who responds to "mate") behind. He stripped, flexed and got to work. Phwoar. I make no apologies for enjoying the view.

I spent several hours in the laundry going through the backlog of cleaning supplies, including some horrifyingly ancient buckets with Things in them apparently left to soak and then forgotten *shudder*. I'd say they were manky cleaning rags too disgusting to put in the washing machine, but forgotten once shoved in a corner under the sink to soak. Out they go.

I eventually found the floor, and experimentally scrubbed bits of it. The poisons cupboard is no longer jam-packed with a horrifying mix of bath and kitchen cleaners, pesticides, car cleaning products, shoe polish, garden chemicals, and other things to avoid. Some of them are still there, but at least they're sorted. I found some sparklers that were probably left over from my 30th birthday party.

The most interesting find was an inch or so of Vogon Kettle Cleaner. Made from real Vogons?

I sorted the buckets into retrievable and horrifying and washed the retrievables. Some of the ancient ones were at least 10 years old 99c affairs and had done their duty into scratchy crumbly ickiness.

The laundry floor is a domestic anamoly. While the splashback tiles are a true-to-form nausea-inducing light blue lacy floral, and the walls the same stab-out-my-eyes lemon yellow as the rest of the damn place, the floor is an unusually funky mosaic of deep ocean blues. And now we can see it.

I've cleaned the outside of the washing machine. And the laundry cupboard. I've even tidied up some of the building rubble and packaging outside.

I am becoming dangerously enamoured of cleaning now it involves nice clean rags, clean buckets, warm soft soapy water and non-headache-inducing materials. AND I feel like I've exercised!

How strange that it should take alleged domestic drudgery to make me feel as if I have a life again :-)

The Kitchen
Attempt #1 to find a wall colour for the kitchen failed. It danced with the cupboards and benchtops, but was a bit too orangy for the tiles. So many shades of beige, so little time. Plus the idea of using something called Pumpkin Skin on the walls just did not appeal. After a peaceful late afternoon trip to Bunnings I now have a sample pot of deeply unexciting Classic Cream which should just blur into the tiles and disappear into the background in a warm fuzzy kind of way.

I may have lingered for an unnaturally long period in the plastic storage box section, but that's what happens to float my boat and it's a free world. Mmmmm. Organisation. I only bought three.

Ceiling squirrels due back on Tuesday for the sanding-back (messy) and then I can get the rangehood put in, cutting through the temporarily whole ceiling (messy). Then I can polish the tiles and put a sealer on the stone bits. And then I can wash then paint the walls. I still plan to get someone else to do the ceiling; I did the bathroom ceiling and nearly crippled myself. Life is good.

Wouldn't say no to a lotto win though...

ETA: Some pix added, but sadly no lotto win. Or squirrel pix.