I need my floors to be pretty clean. And dishes done. Luckily, I don't mind vacuuming and mopping and I don't find dishes onerous. But clutter, oh god, I need to have no flat surfaces on which things can accumulate. I do a bucket-shove cleaning (put a bucket at the edge of the table, shove everything into the bucket. Anything removed from bucket must find a home) every so often, but...

Don't even want to talk about dusting.

I sent my sister the email to the article you linked to Jesse, with just a note that it's pretty spot on, and she sent me a reply that has me sobbing way more than the article itself. I don't know how recursively more I can feel like shit just by virtue of people not thinking I'm shit, but at least there's a sane part of me that's just touched and honoured by her regard. Otherwise I'd go bonkers.

But I definitely need a stimulation break before I can reply to that, and I'm so glad I didn't read it at the office.

Maybe my pie is done baking. Yes, that'd be good.

I'll vacuum for you anytime, Cass.

she sent me a reply that has me sobbing way more than the article itself

Aw, ita.

I should set up some sort of cleaning parties with nearby friends. Set up a rotating schedule for all of us get together, help each other with housework. It sounds like a great idea in my head.

Mac, kiddo! Shape up! Do not make the wacky fairy gothmother you've never met come out there and have a stern talk with you!

That sounds like a great idea, Jilli. When I was a kid, sleepovers somehow came to involve polishing furniture and making elaborate breakfasts for the household where we were "sleeping" - it was actually fun!

And I'm pretty sure my friends wouldn't mock me for my irrational fear of the vacuum cleaner.

(If you're vacuuming, you can't hear if anything is sneaking up on you. I SAID it was irrational.)

That's pretty rational, as vacuum cleaner fears go.

I was looking at hard cases for my tablet, and I came across some that were made of vegan leather. What is vegan leather? All I can think of is fruit leather or some synthetic.

I'll vacuum for you anytime, Cass.

And I'll dust.

Honestly, sometimes my Mom will come over and spend ten minutes with a vacuum cleaner and I will happily make her dinner and clean up. I swear I get the better deal. If she wants to mop, I will cook the damn frozen turkey that has lived in my freezer for months. All the trimmings.

Vegan leather is any leather substitute. It could be made of PVC, or microfiber, or a couple other things. Not necessarily environmentally friendly. The world is better off with someone using real leather than PVC (poly-vinyl-chloride).