Ex-Pat remains in the hospital, and as I discussed yesterday, I have started the clean-up process in my old house.
It is terrifying.
I don’t understand how someone can let things get this dirty. I chided Kelsea about it last night (nice welcome home, huh?) and she said that she never touched half of the stuff in the house – which sounds just like her Dad. My response? Whether you touch it or not, you still live here. So there.
I won’t gross you out with all the details, but suffice it to say that when you have two dogs and two cats, love to cook, and live by a creek and across the street from a cow pasture, you just have to realize that hair, dust, and grease can transform some things into creations worthy of Salvador Dali if you don’t stay on top of it. I’m so far under it in this clean-up process that it’s hard to breathe.
But progress was made last night. Several surfaces were cleaned and shined. One carpet, while not salvageable, was at least improved. Walls and ceilings were partially de-cobwebed. A load of laundry was done. The freezer was cleaned. The kitchen table is 90 percent excavated. I have made some decisions about some of my things – what to take to my house, what to leave here, and what to throw away.
This cleaning process became more amenable for me when I realized that this is another stage of leaving my old life behind. When I moved out in 2008, I took things willy-nilly, at random, because I was shocked at what I was doing. I was actually leaving him. I would grab a random stacking file here, a cookbook there, but there was no real packing. Some of my clothes are still in his closet. Which is beneficial when I housesit, but perhaps not helpful for either of us in making a full-fledged parting. Although he has been passive-aggresively letting the cats pee on my clothes that find their way to the closet floor. Grumph.
I talked to him today, and told him what I was doing,and he said not to go crazy on the cleaning. Since the house is half mine, and in the state it is in, I am disregarding that and doing what I think is right. He may be coming home soon – depends on his fever and blood cultures – and will have a home health nurse coming periodically to help him through six weeks of IV antibiotics through a picc line. It’s my opinion that cleanliness is critical at this time. Dog hair +picc line = back to the hospital.
Kelsea, meanwhile, is embracing the cleaning with all the enthusiasm a teenager on spring break can muster for such an activity. Get what I’m saying? Yippee.
But as dear Ceciliag commented on yesterday’s post, this cleansing will be good for all of us.
Assuming we survive it.

Image from http://eyeonmiami.blogspot.com
10 comments
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March 28, 2012 at 5:17 pm
thesinglecell
I’m happy to see some humor in this post, even though what you’re dealing with is several kinds of unpleasant. You’re right about needing the environment to be clean in order to recover. Good luck!
March 28, 2012 at 9:20 pm
Seasweetie
Thanks, singlecell. I was pretty unproductive tonight after breaking a light bulb into a bijiion pieces in a carpet – sometimes it seems like I make more of a mess trying to clean up a mess than the mess was in the first place..
March 28, 2012 at 5:54 pm
ceciliag
You will survive and get a good deal of satisfaction too.. and there is your silver lining.. being able to quietly draw your own things out from under the rubble and do what you will with them! Aren’t relationships funny things.. there are no rule books, only common sense.. I wish there were more people with as much common sense as you. Oh and sometimes it is good to be angry too, i clean VERY fast when i am angry!! celi
March 28, 2012 at 9:17 pm
Seasweetie
I am a most productive cleaner when I am irked as well. Thank you, celi.
March 28, 2012 at 7:44 pm
slpmartin
Oh my…you really know how to have a good time….hope you survive the process…it does sound like cleaning is removing some old ghost also…take care.
March 28, 2012 at 9:18 pm
Seasweetie
Yes, liberation comes in strange ways, slp.
March 29, 2012 at 3:44 am
TBM
You are a brave woman! Good luck and I hope Pat feels better soon.
March 29, 2012 at 7:39 am
Seasweetie
Thanks, TBM. Hope all is well with you.
March 29, 2012 at 3:45 pm
thepetalpusher
Gosh, I don’t think I can express a response as good as cecliag! Ditto, ditto!
March 31, 2012 at 10:02 pm
cantfindmenow
This will be good for all. Cleaning out the cobwebs…interesting. Kind of like a colonoscopy? HeeHee I love you and my prayers are there for spiritual healing while your soul is renewed and ready to give 100% to the here and now, the precious future which remains bright and beautiful!