Which is why I stopped. Now I am watching Goodfellas and trying to figure out how to fix this bug on my Sims 2 game.
I have no idea what to do with all of these stupid boxes. I've been cleaning for hours and it just doesn't look any different.
Posted by sarcare (Member # 8736) on :
Cleaning sucks, I agree, and especially when it doesn't produce obvious results right away.
Are they empty boxes? I have some boxes I keep, taken apart and kept under my bed, but I'm a college student so I move around a lot.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
I have a ton of these stupid boxes, some havfe stuff in them, some don't. A lot of this stuff is from ages ago. I should sort through it, but I have these boxes right here to keep the rabbit a way from my wires. I'm going to get inspected and tomorrow the pet sitter is supposed to come over and meet Bernie. I really should clean but it's JUST SO BORING. I fail to see why a wand to make mess disapear hasn't been invented yet.
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
My "cleaning" involves taking all the crap and shoving it into a closet and closing the door.
-pH
Posted by Irami Osei-Frimpong (Member # 2229) on :
I hated cleaning until I approached cleaning like running. I'm fair distance runner, but I hate it. I always have, and when I train, especially after a hiatus, the pain of running is so demoralizing that I'm scared to get out of bed. But here is what I do. I don't press myself. I start off way under my capacity. I only do a half mile, even a quarter mile, but I do it every day, then the next week, I go a little bit farther. This approach doesn't work for everyone, but I picked it up in music and track, and now I apply cleaning and just about everything else I do, including writing. Now, I'm a middling runner, writer, and musician, so your mileage may vary.
Take the turtle approach to cleaning. Slow and steady. Only spend fifteen minutes a day at first, but do it everyday. Do it when you first get up, before you are fully awake and realize that you hate it. At that rate, it may take a month or two to clean your place, but not only will it eventually happen, even better, you will habituate yourself into cleaning.
Posted by Kin (Member # 9246) on :
It's more endurable if music's on..
I love Sims 2, by the way. Controlling people's lives, an' all. I was so proud of one of my characters, when he gave birth to an alien. Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
Yes, the music does make it more bearable, until I give up and decide to read Watchmen.
Sims 2 was fun, until I got this stupid BUG. Which makes no sense. It should be fixed. I used the patch, so that shouldn't be happening. A pain. Now If I could just get around to throwing away these stupid boxes and this kipple.
Posted by Kin (Member # 9246) on :
Kipple?..
Cleaning's sometimes fun. Found a couple dead spiders under my desk once. And my long lost great-uncle.
.. Well, no. It was a blue sock.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
Yeah, like in Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. I have the biggest problem with Kipple.
Posted by CaySedai (Member # 6459) on :
(finally checks this thread)
Synesthesia: what is the bug? Do you have Open for Business? I read there is a bug where a Sim with a business on a community lot drives their own car to work, the game can freeze when they try to leave. I found out about this after my person drove to their business, but luckily it didn't affect me that time.
The other thing that comes to mind is something I didn't realize until I got Nightlife and that is shutting down all non-essential programs. I shut off my modem first, then my antivirus program, then go from there. (Control-alt-delete, shut down processes listed under my username except taskmgr and explorer [and a couple of others my computer won't let go of]).
And, I hate cleaning, too. Posted by Vamp96 (Member # 9030) on :
I read about using a timer to clean for 15 minutes at a time. I'm a big time procrastinator so I thought this was great idea. I've had the stupid timer for 2 months and still haven't tried the 15 minute system. I'm so pathetic.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
My problem is that I can't get a couple of mine to marry or woo hoo without them jumping apart. I tried support and they said to delete everything! That's like a year or so's stuff, all the Moshinsky's kids, this band I like, and my legacy thing I don't want ot do that!
It didn't get that clean. There's still hay everywhere. My room is still littered with Dir en grey magazines and clothes and cds. I hate cleaning... I need more time.
Posted by Katarain (Member # 6659) on :
Check it out! Posted by jeniwren (Member # 2002) on :
I don't like cleaning, but I love living in a clean house. It's like an addiction. When our house was for sale last year, it had to be clean all the time, since there could be showings at any time. I found that once I decluttered (a ton of our stuff went into storage), keeping the house clean wasn't very difficult. Now, when it's messy or dirty, I feel itchy, vaguely unhappy and dissatisfied.
I'm convinced that part of the whole hating to clean thing is mostly hating to get rid of stuff I really don't need. The actual cleaning part is pretty refreshing. The sorting, discarding and organizing part is more like work.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
Got inspected She's still not satisfied. I think I need to exploit someone.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
Aw. those people seem so nice and sweet. Maybe that will work so that the landlady FINALLY leaves me alone about the barn I live in.
Posted by Tatiana (Member # 6776) on :
I hate cleaning, too. I think I'm gonna try one of these. Posted by Carrie (Member # 394) on :
quote:Originally posted by Synesthesia: Yes, the music does make it more bearable, until I give up and decide to read Watchmen.
Sounds like my life. I try to study/clean/do anything with good music on in the background, and I almost inevitably wind up reading something (often Watchmen).
There should be a "Sighing" graemlin, because I'd use it here.
Posted by Katarain (Member # 6659) on :
Your landlady comes into your apartment/house/dwelling to inspect that you're keeping it clean enough?? That's UNREAL! I wouldn't like that at all! (Said the woman with the world's messiest apartment....I have issues.. )
Posted by Mabus (Member # 6320) on :
Kat, the Housing Authority inspects my apartment on a regular basis too. It happened two days ago, in fact, right after I went to bed. (I work nights and thus keep an odd schedule, but still...)
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
She's going to keep bothering me about it too. I HATE having people in my apartment. It's my territory. That's why I'm so messy. Paying 3 times as much rent should be enough to keep everyone OUT. Unless I want them in.
Posted by Anna (Member # 2582) on :
quote:I HATE having people in my apartment. It's my territory.
I understand the feeling. I was really mad the first time I had to have my in-laws living here for a few days, because they kept behaving as if they were home. It bugged me to no end. We finally explained ourselves, I try to be a little less territorial and they try to ask before doing.
[ March 16, 2006, 10:26 AM: Message edited by: Anna ]
Posted by Katarain (Member # 6659) on :
The housing authority? What is their reasoning? Are you renting?
I suppose that my landlady could get on my case about my apartment, but we try to keep everyone out. It's an embarrassing situation, and one which I TRY desperately to fix. It's very hard when there's clutter and objects don't have a home. With a small apartment, there's no "garage" for things you need to have, but rarely use. I keep on trying new things, new ways to do storage, and I organize all the time... Nothing sticks. *sigh*
So I really feel for ya'll with nosy people sticking their nose in when you're paying for privacy.
Posted by Mabus (Member # 6320) on :
I'm renting from the city, basically. It's controlled-rent housing--I'm at the maximum payment, but right now anything else is higher. I can only guess as to why they get inspection rights--they have to protect their property from getting really nasty, I suppose.
Posted by Vamp96 (Member # 9030) on :
I visited my mom once when she first moved into an apartment. I never had any experience with apartment dwelling before so I had no idea people would actually come into your apartment during the day. I had mono at the time, but didn't know it. My mom was at work, so I was sleeping during the day and looking pretty gross when all of a sudden I heard a knock at the front door. I didn't want anyone to see me in my nappy PJs looking all sweaty (mono+me=cold sweats) and gross so i just figured if I didn't answer the door they would go away. But noooo..they whipped out their keys and came right on it. I was standing right in front of the door when they came in. I was sooooo embarassed!
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
There is mess and then there's mess. If your apartment is buried in piles of paper, books, clothes, etc, your landlord doesn't have a right to complain. If you're generating a mess that will cause damage to the unit you're living in, though, I can understand your landlord being upset. If your pet were doing damage to the carpets or doors, for example, or if you had a pile of rotting food in your sink that was inviting an insect or rodent infestation, I'd absolutely understand your landlord wanting you to take care of the problem.
Posted by Katarain (Member # 6659) on :
That's my apartment, buried in stuff that we don't know where to put. It's not rotting and icky, and we don't have any pets. The only time it's stinky is if DH forgets to take the garbage out. And THAT is easily remedied.
I am slowly attempting to use the FlyLady system, although I've barely started. I would recommend it, though, based on the fact that I know it WILL work for me, and that there are so many testimonials that it does, in fact, work.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
I have to wash dishes more, but it's not that bad... There's papers all over my room Dir en grey pictures... Pictures of their guitarist on my floor.... clothes. books kipple it's not that bad...
Posted by Katarain (Member # 6659) on :
I'm often searching online, looking for the magical organization method that doesn't involve buying hundreds of dollars (or more!) worth of shelves and boxes. Even when I do find something good, finding the time to do it is hard. But that's "Stinkin' Thinkin'" according to FlyLady. The solution is obviously throwing stuff out. (Ouch!)
Posted by Kristen (Member # 9200) on :
I grew up with a cleaning lady and consequently, I am terrible at keeping clean. It's hard to learn! It's especially bad now that I have an apartment and not a dorm room and not prepared for regular impromptu visits. I do know that the key is to put things away on a daily basis, or even better, develop a schedule, and never ever store.
For me, the worst is books. I agree with Katarain in that I don't want to spend $$$ getting sheleves and boxes but it's sooo hard for me to part with them. I used crates, but the books ended up warping them. Consequently, they are in a neatly stacked pile near the TV. Not very attractive Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
I grew up responsible for cleaning everything from a very young age and consequently, I am terrible at keeping clean. It's hard to want to!
Really, I'm just saying, Kristen, that both ends of the spectrum can lead to the same results. I was doing dishes at five, laundry (the whole deal for the entire family) at 7, cooking full meals at five, and so on and so on. I'm a modern-day quiderella. Or Cinderquid? Eh.
And now I live in the land of cheap maids ($3 a day) and we can't find/keep one. They all want full time, and we don't need that. We need a couple of days a month, and even the ones who are looking for full time work don't want to do it because it's beneath them to be earning some money occasionally.
Bleh!
Posted by Kristen (Member # 9200) on :
Quid, good point, I suppose it's more of a nature rather than nurture thing. Alas, it's easier to pretend that I just haven't learned the skills than accept that I'll never be good at keeping clean.
Wow, full meals at 5? When I was 5 my mom (who is a TOTAL control freak in the kitchen) wouldn't let me cook for fear that I would mess everything up . It was always a big deal when she'd let me use the egg-beater.
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
Yup, full meals at five. I was the youngest, in kindergarten, so went to school for only the mornings. My mother was sick with bronchitis and in bed for half a year. She'd yell the intructions to me from her bed, and yep, there's me, flipping meat or checking if the potatoes are done while standing on a chair I'd pulled up to the stove. I cooked like that for at least a half year. Then I started growing taller and left the chair behind...
I don't know so much that it's directly nature versus nurture. For me, it was very much nurture - I was so much of the slave that I grew to absolutely vehemently abhor it. Another example...
Thanksgivings, Christmas, Easter - from the time I was about twelve, I was responsible for the entire meal. Preparing the stuffing & turkey, getting it roasting, getting everything else cooking, setting the table, making any desserts, and then all the cleanup afterwards. The entire lot of work fell on my shoulders. Why? Because it was a holiday for the rest of them. What about me? Why, that didn't matter. (For the record, I stopped spending any holidays with them after I turned 20. I'd had enough.)
It's like I became allergic to all that BS and slavery. I was a piece of furniture. Robot 2000 or something.
Me hating housework has absolutely nothing at all to do with nature and everything to do with nurture. It's just that my other-end-of-the-spectrum nurtering led to the same result as your nurtering.
Make sense?
Posted by Tatiana (Member # 6776) on :
I can totally see that, quid and Kristen, the both of you!
I grew up in a time and place of cheap servants, and I rarely had to do any cleaning or housework. We almost always had a maid 1 or 2 days a week, and my mother was not good at delegating. She would rather do it herself than worry about trying to get us to do it. We never even really had to pick up after ourselves. But we did, from around age 14 or so, have to clear the table and clean up the kitchen after supper in the evenings. And when we went off to college, of course, we did our own laundry.
I also hate cleaning as an adult, and don't keep on top of it. But the two things that seem like no big deal to me at all, that I do regularly and keep on top of, without really thinking about it, are laundry and dishes. The two things we did when we were young. So I was thinking that being trained to do it at a young age was the key to that. But now from listening to quid talk about her experience, I'm not sure.
Maybe that system works only if the chores are distributed in a more or less fair way? Ours was not fair, because only girls were required to do any chores at all, never the boys. Even as grown ups, in our family, the girls hop up after supper at family meals and begin cleaning while the guys almost always just sit around and talk. Why? That bothered me.
So, though our system was not totally fair, still it was not grossly unfair like you had, quid. At least all the girls shared the work more or less equally (other than my mom who did the lion's share always).
So, what is the recipe for raising someone who keeps a clean house? Maybe there's no clear answer. Saudade is a compulsive cleaner, and keeps her house spotless, and she had the whip cracked over her when she was young to clean the whole family's mess always too, like quid. Karen (a lady who used to clean for me) was obsessively clean as well, and she was made to do it all for her family, too.
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