Miscellany

 The days between posts have been a bit mundane. Cooking, laundry, an adolescent girl cat and many, many thoughts about this place and the realization that there is no affordable alternative out there at the moment or possibly ever again. I would have to live in another state.

I also received my autosomal DNA test results and have been looking at matches, summaries, traits and other things. The results of the ethnicity estimate held no big surprises but a few little ones such as small percentages of Norwegian, Danish and Swedish. The more predominate ethnicities were a mix of countries comprising the UK,  and Germany, all of which are reflected in my tree.

The Traits section is new. According to my DNA, I should be an extrovert, do not care to have pets, am not a night owl and likely to have a cleft chin, higher than average birth weight, appear motivated by success but also less determined.

In actuality, I am an introvert, prefer pets to people and always have, am a night owl, possess no cleft in my chin, had a lower than average birth weight and have always been determined. Without this last, I doubt I'd still be rolling around. 

What accounts for these differences?? A mix of circumstances, most beyond my control as an infant or little kid--premature birth, low birth weight, disability, and the adults who shaped my living environment as well as my experiences in that environment. Age and perception also influence all of this.

Among my matches are by now well known surnames to me and many others I do not recognize, a lot of these do not have trees so it is harder to know how we are related. While I do not plan on contacting matches, I am encouraged that my research prior to testing has for the most part accurate. I have over 3000 people in my tree and it will likely never be completed in what remains of my lifetime but I am okay with that. My only goal in doing this was to learn and I have, in spades.

I am about two hours from an early morning grocery delivery. The sidewalks here are due for replacement/repair starting today. I hope that is not too noisy. It will take a week.

Have a great day!

ZZZ...

The little girl and I are tired...

Laundry, washing up, sorting out the bedroom closet after Mercy climbed all over the inside knocking things off the shelves. taking out the household trash and recycling and wiping down the kitchen after getting the groceries in and putting them away, I still have the bathroom to clean and some dusting to do as well as cooking for the week, but all of that will be for another day.

There is more to say but that too can wait...

Good night!

For Those Who Asked...Some Adaptive Cleaning Tools

 The link and article below may help those of you who are interested. My research is ongoing.

https://www.ameridisability.com/12-disability-friendly-housecleaning-essentials/

Cheers!

PS: Mercy and I are both well!

A Favorite Old Post...

 

A Doyen of Domesticity, or, Has Anyone Seen Mr. Clean?

 The best cleaner I ever knew was a middle-aged man whom I met at work. Possessed of an English degree and tired of life behind a desk, he took a job as a cleaner and general locum, found he liked both roles and spent his days keeping our day and evening worker bees happily humming along. 

While I cleaned during my college days for an older woman and various friends in need, it was not until I made his acquaintance that I glimpsed what he termed the "Zen" of cleaning. I grew to appreciate this approach and began using music, meditation or guided imagery as a backdrop to any clearing, tidying or cleaning task at chez moi. Already a neat freak, the peace and serenity afforded me by a clean, organized space represented safety and comfort, two things every home should offer.

Having lived in small, generally spare rooms from earliest adulthood, cleanliness and organization went hand-in-hand as I zipped from job to class to freelance client, took care of animals and completed an advanced degree.

Affectionately dubbed "Mr. Clean" by colleagues, I often wish I had thanked this gentleman for the conversations we had that changed cleaning from chore to accomplishment. I was happier and so were the pets. 

Various life events, including the use of a wheelchair changed this a bit. Though I keep the refuse, laundry and pet mess at bay, and the bathroom and kitchen reasonably free of bacteria, I now face conundrums. Dust, high places, floors I can no longer scrub, discolored grout and crevices I cannot quite reach. The pandemic put paid to getting a cleaner and, truthfully, most of those previously used were not worth the money.

In one instance, a vacuum stopped working mid-room because it was clogged with debris from the four previous homes on the cleaner's rota that day. This came out after she admitted that she wasn't given any spare bags...

Another time, someone called post-visit and apologized for not dusting because she forgot...

A third came and made off with my loo brush which she apparently used at a friend's flat. Said friend recognized that the brush did not match her toilet ensemble and called to ask if my brush was missing...

Evidently, we were spending a bit too much time in each other's bathrooms if she could so easily identify my brush...Another casualty of pandemic living...

With the onset of COVID 19, no-one has come in, and I have been both busy and recently sidelined with all too familiar low back, hip and spine issues. Unable to sleep well, I was trolling You Tube recently and found a cache of recordings of the popular British program, How Clean is Your House?

Having watched these several years ago, I was both fascinated and repelled at the level of filth people, most of whom were able-bodied, were willing to live with before calling in professional help. This second viewing also re-focused my attention on the potential health hazards inherent in such a situation and the often cheap and old fashioned ways available to sanitize.

While no persons in my circumstance were featured in this series, it has re-ignited my cleaning urge and I'm now looking for information on adaptive cleaning tools geared to seniors and persons with mobility issues. Hopefully, some of the self-care and cleaning jobs can be done a bit more easily and speedily.

To my "Mr. Clean," wherever he may be...

Cheers!

Answering Questions

 One of the comments about Mercy from my previous post mentioned her being a permanent kitten...This is inaccurate. She is a kitten from birth until one year of age regardless of spay status. Since she is now seven months we have five months left until she reaches adulthood. She is still very curious and playful. The sixth month for kittens is marked by increased growth and appetite and she has filled out a bit but is still growing. According to my reading and information from the vet, kittens begin to settle down between 9 and 12 months, so Miss Mercy still has a while to be a little girl.

Regarding the condominium association here and their concerns, the overarching concern is paying for maintenance and insurance, both of which are rising exponentially due to being in a hurricane state. Additionally our reserves are low and monies taken from them must be paid back within one year of borrowing per state statute. There is a lot to do here and it cannot all get done on a shoestring budget.

As for our treasurer who only joined our board in February after someone else stepped down, she was a foul of the law when she told a homeowner who asked to speak to an item under discussion and was told that there was no provision for owners to speak at this particular meeting. When advised that this was against state statute, the treasurer apologized and the owner said her piece. She is not on the board but new here apparently and shocked by what she was hearing. I think many people would be shocked at the power wielded by condominium associations in this state. By now, if any of you are still awake, you may realize that condo living is not always as it was meant to be. A good read on the subject is the book entitled, Escaping Condo Jail. The authors escape me at the moment but if you Google the title you should find it readily enough.

Happy Weekend

 It has been a slow day here. I continue to have a reversed sleep schedule. Apart from that my waking hours have been spent cooking and trying to figure out why my little feline firecracker thinks it is cool to jump me from behind and land on my upper back and shoulders before sniffing my hair. What is up with that?

Mercy is seven months today and the time has simply flown. Still petite, she weighs about six pounds and is still very much a kitten, with play and food at the center of her world. I appear to be her favorite climbing toy and get showered with licks, purrs and head butts throughout the day. She also loves to ride in my lap.

The condominium board meeting was more like a hideous ambush than any genuine attempt to resolve differences as four ganged up on one and made a motion to do a recall which would remove that person from the board. There are several steps involved in this process which is detailed in Florida condominium law and it will cost our association money we can ill afford. Since board elections are to be held this summer, the attempt at recall is not well timed. Unlike our board two years ago, no one has put their fingers in what is left of our financial pie and the person under fire appears to be a natural leader who wants things done. This individual by education and experience also knows the law and does not mind speaking up. It is also apparent that the other board members are not as aware and I wonder whether they have taken the required certification for board members or merely signed paperwork indicating so. 

There is also an incident regarding board email sent to a non-owner which was not fully explained to the homeowners listening on Zoom. What should have happened, in the latter situation, is that the association attorney should have been consulted prior to any meeting or discussion of recall and the attorney should have been the one to explain the situation and any legal issues involved. Lastly, the incorrect note placed on my door about last week's April meeting was put there not by the property manager or the board but by a resident and the board was unaware of this until our management started getting calls about it. Whether this was done under his own or another's instigation is unclear. What is clear is that this association, which has historically been plagued with problems, is continuing to have them.

On a much lighter note, happy weekend!

Hectic Day

 Have you ever gone to bed early but been thwarted in sleep? I fell asleep at 7:45 last evening and awakened shortly after 1 AM to heed the call of nature. I did not get to sleep again until after 9 AM by which time I had ordered groceries and put them away, sorted and put away laundry, taken out trash and recyclables, cleaned and mopped the bathroom, seen to Mercy's needs and chores, eaten breakfast and done the dishes and then slept until just after 1 PM.

Cooking for the rest of the week was on my agenda for today but I am bushed at the minute and will do that tomorrow, at least that is the plan now. Another meeting of our HOA is scheduled for Thursday evening and the only topic of discussion listed on the agenda sent out via email is "Board personality conflicts resolution."

In all my years here, this is the first time I have ever seen this on an agenda. Though I am glad the board is open about it, I do wonder whether there can be effective resolution and why those involved need to involve the rest of us in the attempt. Owners here are allotted three minutes to speak after all of the other agenda items have been dealt with by the board. Having served on the board from 1999-2004, I know that such conflicts do arise and I hope that folks can focus on their joint desire for a clean, safe and financially responsible community.

That hope is followed by skepticism.

How was your day??