Yeah, I looked at Yelp and Angie's List. I keep thinking I need to switch services--I use a green service, which I'm not fixated on, but like in theory. But it's $125 for once a month, plus I tip. Should I not tip? I was surprised to see people saying elsewhere that they didn't. I figured if you work for a service you don't make nearly as much, so I give her $20 every time (we mostly have the same lady, though a few times someone else)

They are, smonster, love. Went through a Black Dog/2 week really awful illness/ then chronic back and shoulder pain, but I am really to kick ass and take names!

Stoopid brain chem. I hates it, but I get a little better each time, so I pick myself off, dust myself off, make amends and determine to make the best out it in being honest with myself and those who I have impacted.

Nuff said.

(We need to have a skype drink-sesh soon, chica!)

I always tip. I know the cleaning ladies don't make much after the company takes its overhead, so I like to acknowledge their work. I don't usually tip 20%, though--usually between $10-$15 per visit.

In my case, I overheard a woman in a restaurant talking about her amazing cleaners and I asked for their number. I really lucked out because they are detailed, neat, and willing to do extras. I like Angues list but I heard they are now owned by some right wing group that supports Rush Limbaugh so I pulled my membership.

Glad you're feeling better, Strix!

meara, I used to tip $20 too. Like you, I figured that working for a service company, they weren't making that much.

I don't really wanna join Angie's List again. Maybe I'll try Yelp.

Our ladies charge $65 per visit every two weeks. We don't tip except at Christmas, since they work for themselves. We used to live next door to one of them, and totally like her and her husband.

I'm skipping to bring you the next anecdote: I had a minor medical procedure done this morning, making sure my naevi are nothing more than naevi (something I'm doing every 4-5 years).

My father's idea of encouragement was to say "don't worry. Your grandfather and his father had melanoma, but it's not the thing that killed them".

Explaining the funnies: he's right, it was other things, only in the Israeli context the subtext would be "Nazi Germany did".

glad to hear your naevi are behaving! Love the dark humor.

As for me. Ugg. Don't want to get out of bed. Blah. Must go to work. Yesterday it felt like I was working on 10 things at once. It really drains the mental reserves when you are running all over campus trying to fix/figure out a dozen things.

I don't remember exactly how much I was quoted by the cleaning service to come in once a week and wash the floors, clean the bathroom and clean the kitchen, but I think it was around $160 for every two weeks, which is why we haven't done it.

In, I forget everyone isn't us news, my friends baby was born yesterday and there has been no facebook status update and no photos online.

So today I've made an appointment with a GP and a gyno, things I've needed to do for months. So that's out of the way. I need to clean up the apartment because my toilet is doing something weird and I need to get a plumber to check it out but I've let the apartment get to a bad state.

Dean was snuggly last night and ate some. But this morning he's back to being lethargic. He hasn't eaten anything and didn't even get excited about the hairball remedy (which he normally loves). I'm waiting to hear back from the vet about the blood work.