Clean machine

I officially turned into a freak this weekend.

Hal went to Lexington this weekend to sing at church. He does this during the Lenten/Easter season because he really likes the music his old church (UK's Newman Center) puts together. They do a wonderful job, and they are good friends, so it's nice that he's still involved there!

However, this weekend I had to stay here and work. I am trying to get a study together to submit to the AEJMC conference. The deadline is April 1. So I have been reading and coding news stories like nobody's business this weekend. (Hal is also coding, although he hasn't gotten as much done as he would like. Or perhaps he's gotten exactly as much done as he would like, hmmm.)

So last night I decided to go to bed around 1. I had spent the day doing work and watching some TV (Coyote Ugly!).

I walked into the bedroom and promptly lost my mind.

I decided to clean.

Those of you who know me (or spent time in my classroom!) know I'm not the tidiest person there is. I'm a total packrat, which is compounded by the townhouse we live in (and just signed another lease for). Hal is a lot cleaner, but his busy work schedule has allowed the house to fall a bit by the wayside.

2:30 a.m. found me sorting laundry and muttering "I'm so tired of living in filth." Layla looked on very confused. All she knew was that Hal was gone and so she could sleep in the bed -- and it was very late, so her bed time was being cut.

I found receipts from Oct., fuzz from a dog bed Layla destroyed, several batteries, some sleeves for rolling change, fuzz from a dog bed Layla destroyed, bobbie pins, photo negatives from my 2000 trip to Europe, and fuzz from a dog bed Layla destroyed.

Did I mention I found lots of fuzz from a dog bed Layla destroyed? Lots. of. fuzz.

But now, my dresser looks rather fabulous.

(Oh, you thought I cleaned more? My dresser was really messy. Of course I did more! The fuzz was all over the house, and actually not on the dresser.)

I also hung up some pictures and did all the laundry. I worked on dishes and then cut my thumb on the picture frame, so I couldn't do dishes anymore. I put all the mail in a pile for Hal to go through, and I deconstructed the card table and chairs that has been up since our Super Bowl party (yikes -- we were (too lazy to put it away) using it to construct the collages for our walls. It was also a good homework table).

It turned out well, but now I have to fold the clothes I laundered, so I should be finished with that around, oh, 2009.