Monday, December 03, 2007

Fun Monday - Hit me with your best shot

This week's Fun Monday is being hosted by Robinella and she wanted to make it easy for our poor NaBloPoMo fried brains. Therefore she told us to:



"Take a moment in this last month of 2007 to reflect on the past year. Okay? Done? Now…
In honor of exhaustion, color and self-love, I present you with this week’s assignment. I want you to dig through your blog files and show us your best effort. Why you consider it your best is up to you. C’mon, you know you have a favorite - show it to me one more time."



So, this should have been easy right? But then I started going through my old posts, and finding the "one" to show you again wasn't so easy after all. Still, this was supposed to be an easy task to rest our brains after NaBlo, so...eeenie, meenie...Here you go:



I first posted this entry on January 23, 2006. I decided to go with this one today because I still feel this way about doing the dishes, and, well, I didn't really have anyone reading my blog back then, so I figured I'd post it again. Plus, it's one of my shorter entries, and I know you all have A LOT to read today, so I was thinking of you. Really, I was. Okay, whatever...enjoy.

I don’t know about you, but I feel like I’ve always got a long list of things to do, and never quite finish any one project. This happens whether I’m at work, or at home, and it just leaves me with this unsatisfied feeling, no matter how busy I am, I never seem to get anything fully accomplished, beginning to end.

THIS is why I love doing dishes. Strange as this may sound, hear me out.

I’m well aware that most people hate doing dishes, and that for most people the dishwasher is one of the world’s greatest inventions. I too was a subscriber to the “dishwashers rule” philosophy. That is until my dishwasher crapped out. I could get it fixed, or even replaced, but the truth is, I have a long list of more important items, which take financial priority, and a dishwasher just doesn’t rank that high(Karina's note, as of today, 12/3/07 I still have not replaced my dishwasher). I live alone, and am fully capable of washing my own dishes by hand. For the most part, I don’t necessarily look forward to this task, and yes, there are days when I just let the dishes sit and accumulate before I pull up my shirtsleeves and dig in.

But here’s the thing I realized the other day as I began putting away my last load of dishes from the dish rack, and began washing the new set of dishes in the sink. Here’s something I can do, beginning to end, in a span of 10 minutes tops. I put away the dry dishes, wash the dirty ones, and set them out to dry. And suddenly the sink is clean, and shiny, and WOW, what a sense of accomplishment. Other household chores, not so much! With laundry, I start a load, have to wait an hour for that to be done, and into the dryer before I can start another one, and eventually, I forget all about it, and wind up with smelly wet clothes in the washer for a day or two before I have to wash them all over again. Housecleaning? That’s an all day project, and being a creature of habit, I always start in the kitchen and run out of energy by either the bedroom, or definitely by the office, which is always the last room to clean, and therefore, always end up with a messy office. And as much as it feels great to have a nice clean house, it just takes too damn long to reach that end, and there’s always something else to do, so it’s never a “DONE” deal.

At work? Well, the thought of completing any one project at my job is laughable. Not only am I constantly interrupted with stupid questions from my coworkers or telephone calls, or new projects that are being thrown at me, but every little thing I do requires some sort of response from somebody else. Some projects can take days, others weeks, months, years! No immediate sense of accomplishment there.

So, this leaves me with dishwashing. Instantaneous completion. So, the next time you are grumbling over having to wash the dishes, just think about this, how many other opportunities do you have to complete a “project” in less than 10 minutes? See, it’s not so bad now, is it?

Be sure to hop over to Robinella's for the list of other Fun Mondayers, and don't forget to visit Kaytabug, as she's hosting next week.

17 comments:

junebug said...

So true, but I still have to make myself put them in the dishwasher and I have even shown everyone in the house before how if you just open that little door, there is a magical place for the dishes. But really, I have to take out and rinse or reposition everyone elses entries 'cause I think I do it better and I definitely rinse them better. Like someone said a dishwasher is just a sanitizer not a washer. :D

junebug said...

You so inspired me. I went straight to the kitchen and did my dishes. Man, I feel better already!! Now I'm off to tackle my paperwork.

Rebecca said...

Hehe, when I've had a rough day, I go home and clean the bathroom. There's something about shiny toilets and mirrors that makes everything better. :P

Jenny, the Bloggess said...

You are totally inspiring me. Too bad I'm at work.

Maybe there are some dirty dishes in the employee lounge...

Joy T. said...

My dishwasher crapped out the other day and I'm now doing dishes by hand until hubby comes home from out of town to fix it on the weekend. Dishes I don't mind doing at all.

Beckie said...

I have a sink full of dishes right now - maybe I should do them.

ChrisB said...

You have made me look at dish washing in a totally new light. However I don't think I'll get rid of the dishwasher just yet~ he might object!! (only joking 'himself' rarely washes up or even feeds the dishwasher~ sigh)

Sauntering Soul said...

My boyfriend loves to wash dishes. (No, y'all can't have him.)

But frigga, would you please come visit my house the next time you have a rough day? I despise cleaning bathrooms.

Sandy said...

I could not agree more! I just finished washing my dishes so lil man and I can do some baking after he finishes his homework.

And, yeah, I know I'm weird, but warm, soapy water on a cold winter morning just plain feels good.

Simple pleasures, folks.

Anonymous said...

I don't mind loading the dishwasher, but I hate to empty it.

and the way you feel about the dishes is how I feel about weeding in the garden.

Dreaming What Ifs...

Unknown said...

I went through a spell of liking to wash dishes and I still don't really mind washing them it's the putting them away I hate. I actually hate putting them up from the dishwasher more so I prefer to hand wash them too.

Tiggerlane said...

I TOTALLY GET THIS! I haven't owned a dishwasher in the past 14 years - and whenever the hubby didn't think I was doing enough around the house? I would LEAP for the dishes! Easy...and progress was VISIBLE! Yes, indeed!

A Slice of My Life said...

We go through too many dishes to want to wash them. I like my system of everyone loading it up and the girls emptying it.

Although, I have taught myself to like laundry as long as it's nice and warm.

Susan at A Slice of Life

Anonymous said...

I am not ashamed to admit that hubby and I use disposable plates.
We hate washing dishes!
By the way I shot of photo of boots on Sunday that made me think of you.
I bet you'd look sensational in them ;)
Much bloglove,
Frances
http://blogjem.com

Unknown said...

It is nice to have a sense of accomplishment. I fully agree with that.

Robinella said...

I am a dishwasher! I love it. I would rather handwash every dish in the house than try to figure out how to get them all in the dishwasher. Unloading the dishwasher? Fa-get about it!

Tip: I use a Pampered Chef stone scraper for all my stuck on mess. Works like a charm.

Karina said...

Junebug, I'm glad I inspired you to go do dishes...who knew I could be so inspirational...hahaha

Frigga, I'll make a deal with you, I'll wash your dishes, you clean my bathroom...what do you think?

Mama Drama Jenny, boy, if you're even willing to wash coworkers dishes, then I must really be quite the inspirationist (and yes, I know that's not a word)...

Joy, I read about all your appliances turning on you...boy you've had a rough week...

Beckie, dishes won't be everyone's "therapy", don't worry...look at frigga, she likes scrubbing toilets. ;-)

Chrisb, "feeds the dishwasher"...I like that.

Sauntering soul, I'd be more inclined to trying to steal your boyfriend if you tell me he also cooks? And I second your comment to frigga.

Sandy, I totally hear you on th warm soapy water feeling great.

Karmyn, I live in a condo, so no garden for me to weed, so the dishes will have to do.

Lisa, Even the putting away of the dishes I enjoy, it's the "completion" of the task, you know?

Tiggerlane, exacly! You get it.

Susan (A slice of life), laundry, I don't mind, but I always tend to forget a load either in the dryer (not so bad) or in the wash (ugh).

Frances, nothing wrong with disposable dishes, besides, with the busy life you lead, washing dishes would just get in the way ;-)

AFF, exactly.

Robin, that's a great tip about the stone scraper, and you know what? I have one of those pampered chef ones...I'm going to try that...