12 August 2008

So it's come to this:

Apparently I have become someone who vacuums every day.

I also clean the litterboxes daily. (I have to; otherwise the whole house smells like a big cat turd.)

I am no longer able to ignore messes around the house.

Given $600, I would probably spend the money on a vacuum and not a Nikon D60.

I think that's kind of a female thing, actually. Spending the money on something household related for a shared good rather than a toy for myself. I'm kind of bummed out by realizing this, actually. I'm also completely disconcerted to realize I have become something my ex-husband reserved a special sneer for: I am house proud.

And I can't tell if that's bad because it's embracing traditional female value assigned by a patriarchal culture or if it's okay to groove on a clean house, the way it's okay to wear lipstick and heels and feel like you look awesome.

7 comments:

Lisa said...

It's bad if it makes you feel overworked and resentful; it's good if it makes you feel like you're performing some sort of ritual ablution that makes your life prettier and more manageable. If it's equal parts both of those then it's just life I guess.

I sweep the kitchen before bed a few nights a week. Not tonight, though.

Cara dB said...

Yeah, I think it's some from column A and some from column B, depending on what else is happening.

Kaethe said...

It's not just a female thing. The Spouse would also rather have a new vaccuum than a new camera, because he uses to vaccuum more often and his old camera is pretty good.

Cara dB said...

I would actually prefer to upgrade my camera before the vacuum - the limitations of my current camera are getting really frustrating while the vacuum is heavy and clunky and awkwardly stored - but works great. It's more that I would feel guilty spending so much on a toy just for me.

Kaethe said...

Ah, I see. Whereas his vaccuum is busted, but his camera is fine.

Katharine Weber said...

It's a question of comfort with the way you are. Is it a rebellion, or is it a conformity, or is it freedom?

Anonymous said...

Ah, yes, the joys of a clean house. Never thought I, the original messy marvin, would jump on the bandwagon either, ha ha ha.
Between the boys and the cats I feel like all I ever do is clean clean clean. I did buy a new vaccuum cleaner (a Bissel) that I love! I have started using Kaboom cleaner for the bathrooms- it smells fabulous. It was reccomended to me by a straight male fellow coworker....so men do it too!