Hooray for cleanness!    2007-10-05 05:43:21 ET
In efforts to try to tame the chaos that has become our apartment- no, wait. Strike that. Revers it: In efforts to recreate normalcy in an apartment that has become chaotic, I scrubbed the shit out of the bathroom last night, and I mean that quite literally. I actually scrubbed the shit out of our toilet bowl. Since we don't own a toilet bowl brush (yet, working on that. I want to get the skull one with the bone handle, and I know just where I can buy one), I had to flush, scrub, flush scrub, always keeping fresh water flowing so bleaching of my already chemically dried hands wouldn't be necessary- Don't worry. I made sure to scrub the toilet last so as to avoid streaking germs across the rest of the bathroom. Then I threw the sponge away. YAY! Go me for sanitation! Now, all I need is an over-the-toilet bookshelf, and all will be sound and good in the world.

Next project is the hallway, which is pretty easy in comparison, since it has no furniture, and no other surface, aside from the floor, that needs to be cleaned. After that, it's the living room, which Waylon will likely help me with.

My mother has passed down two things, which I think are very important about cleaning:

First, just because you're a woman doesn't mean the cleaning has to be done exclusively by you, despite what our commercials still tell you, for the most part- except Mr. Clean. Mr. Clean is macho enough for a man (she didn't teach me that, though. I figured that one our last time I watched TV for a good amount of time). She also inadvertently passed down her extreme adversity to doing chores. She very obviously hated cleaning while teaching me, and so we fought the whole time, and I learned to hate it, too.

Second: If you're going to do it, you might as well be thorough about it so you don't have to bother again for a while. Which means moving things and sweeping/dusting under them; Finding a place for everything to live, not just throwing it on your bed (we had lots of fights about this when I was growing up); and basically getting everything as spotless as possible.

The trick I need to learn is how to keep things spotless the rest of the time. How to do little things every day so that our apartment doesn't build up into the chaotic reality it so easily becomes.

In order to do this, I need to first remind myself that I'm not cleaning because I'm a woman, I'm cleaning because I want a clean house. Waylon does most of the cleaning and stuff right now, so it's obviously not a feminism issue...he just isn't very thorough about it, which incites my obsession about getting it perfect if you're going to do it at all.

Secondly, I need to be ok with doing things in little bits. The whole reason I hate cleaning is because it becomes this huge production- as I mention above, it always has, since I was growing up. We would have the day planned out in advance, so it loomed over us. Then we would fight and argue throughout the entire thing.

The main lesson I need to learn is that it's alright to just do a corner of the living room, for example. It's the biggest room in our apartment, so unless I take the entire day, I can't expect myself to be able to clean the whole thing perfectly in one morning/evening, because it's just too much with the other responsibilities I have to Waylon as a partner, to Ashby as her "mom," and to myself to get the things done I need to do for me (i.e. writing, reading, learning new makeup tricks, etc).

So my new goal is to get the apartment sparkling one little piece at a time, so when it's time for a "big clean" it can be done of an evening, as opposed to a whole day of overwhelming and exhausting intense cleanathon craziness.

Step one: Bagel with creamy creamy cream cheese.

:]
1 comment

     2007-08-21 14:18:50 ET
-:Stage One:-

a) Obtain Hammer from Tool Lending Library.
1) Unload and sort out contents of Bookcases A and B.
2) Once Bookcases A and B are emptied, rearrange space in living room to accomodate bookcase A's slightly larger size.
3) Remove bookcase A from its previous residence and place in newly arranged space.
4) Stack bookcase B on top of bookcase A
5) Nail book case B to the wall.

Status: Complete.

-:Stage Two:-

a) Consume left over Chinese from last night.
1) Replace books on their newly arranged bookcases (A and B. Bookcase C has remained in it's normal location).
2) Come to terms with the realization that your apartment now looks like a library- it *is* kinda cool.
3) Comfort dog, who is stressed out because her environment is changing drastically.
4) Clean area previously occupied by bookcase A.
5) Clear all floor space.

Status: Processing

-:Stage Three:-
*Final Stage*

a) Remove dog from bedroom.
1) Unload and dismantle drafting table.
2) rearrange storage accommodations for "stuff under the drafting table."
3) Remove dog (who has returned to bedroom to nap) from bed.
4) Move head of bed to be against wall dividing bedrooms.
5) Clear floorspace that was until recently occupied by the bed.
6) Do laundry.
oh, and:
7) Return Hammer to Tool Lending Library (Possibly to be completed on Wed. 8/21).
8) Collapse in a heap on the floor and refuse to move until Waylon returns home from his day with food.

Status: Pending
1 comment

 Musical Blogging    2007-08-21 10:24:47 ET
Yesturday: Livejournal; Today: SK; Tomorrow: Myspace; Thursday: Who knows? It's a crapshoot.

Classes start this week, and I am a teensy bit nervous. This is because I am going to Mills for concurrent enrollment this semester. I'm nervous because, of course, I don't know what to expect from the teacher, I'm concerned I won't be able to get into the class, and the commute scares me. I have to take my bike because if I don't, I won't be able to get from my Mills class in the morning to my Berkeley City College class in the afternoon.

I am doubly nervous because my bike isn't quite in working order, yet. I'm still ironing out a few things here and there like, oh...the brakes are loose. My repair book says I should expect that the brakes will be hard to tighten, though, especially for a novice, but gave some good suggestions which, of course, i didn't read until this morning because I was being impatient. Anyhow, I'm hopeful that we can get them nice and tightened up for the commuting I will have to do.

Anyway. I have taken today off from work so I could have a three-day long cleanathon weekend. So far I've worked on my bike. But now. NOW is the hour of my triumph. It is time....for a load of laundry (yay! undies! socks! and pants! oh my!) and for the reorganization of book shelves. But, ofcourse, in the spirit of all things procrastinating, I must check out the tool lending library, as I am in dire need of a hammer.

The plan, as it stands, is to combine Waylon's two bookshelves into one big tall bookshelf, and re-arrange our bedroom accordingly.. I hope I don't need wood glue for this...hmmm. Didn't think of that. I just planned to nail them to each other and then to the wall. We're going to have to spackle and paint this place in order to get our security deposit back, anyway, so putting more holes in the walls is A-OK by me.

Off to procrastination land!!

1 comment

 PLan A    2007-03-01 18:07:50 ET
Ok, so after much deliberation, I've decided that one method of projecting confidence and professionalism is to be someone else when I'm at work. At work, I will be Hair Stylist Shan, we'll call her Shannie A. Shannie A. wears makeup, perfume, and styles her hair every morning. She dresses fashionably, and is successful and booked all the time. She can justify her decisions about price, color choice or product choice without stammering. She is a ball-busting super-stylist who will perform to the very utmost of her ability.

When she gets home and the costume comes off, then Shannie A turns back into Shannie B. The happy go-lucky hippie chick that doesn't wear makeup, brush her hair, and who isn't as confident and self assured as Shannie A.

Today is Day 1 of this experiment. If any of you lovely readers have any suggestions for a Plan B should this not work, please feel free to share them ;]
3 comments

 Berkeley Hip-hippie hose beast from hell...stupid boy...    2007-02-28 08:16:10 ET
So, here we go...

A client, who is high school age, let's call her Tabitha, came into the salon and had a consultation for color with one of the other stylists. Somehow the powers that be decided they would book her with me and that it would be ok to book a complicated color at 6:15pm. Thankfully, I found out about this and was able to get them to move up an hour.

So Tabitha wanted a nice big chunk in front to be pink along with all of her ends. So, we did that, it looked awesome, and she was so super happy with it, but it took 3 1/2 hours, and I charged what I thought was fair. I even charged a little bit less than I thought it was worth because I felt like I couldn't charge any more. Obviously the other stylist that they consulted with had a different game plan because she estimated 2hours, and gave them a ballpark that was a lot less.

So, by the time I was done, it was just after 8:30 and I was the only one left at the salon...so I had nobody to back me up. So, of course, the dad totally fought with me over the price because he was quoted a lot less. He treated me like a criminal, and then didn't tip me. I spent almost four hours on his daughter's hair and he didn't care...the mom totally stood up for me and said that she thought I was worth it and understood that because they booked the appointment with a different stylist than they consulted with that the price/method/time might vary. Then the sonofabitch stiffed me.

So I'm taking a mental health day today...I didnt have any clients today, anyway, plus I don't normally work weds anymore. I just feel so depressed and desperate :[ I can't get away from this crappy shit. Someone also wrote a bad review about me on yelp.com (a review forum for businesses) and I know it's about me because they mentioned how much the haircut was and I'm the only one who charges $55...which reminds me...if I've done your hair and you really like it, please go to Yelp and leave me a review at Peter Thomas Hair Design's forum.

I just feel like I can't do this anymore. I dont get paid enough, and it just makes me so vulnerable...I try to emulate the other stylists, but I'm just not as confident. I feel like I'm going crazy.

anyway...less dwelling, more drinking...who cares if it's only 10am...

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