June 11, 2020

 

The sun is setting as I am in my easy chair tapping away on my laptop keyboard.  Knowing friends were coming to visit today, I was up with the sun.  So was Robbie.  Yes, every morning at 6 AM Robbie announces, "Smart cleaning mode" and  roars into action.  Well, not so much roars as hums into action.  Some mornings I hear the announcement.  Other mornings I snooze right on through all the action. 

 

Robbie has not locked themselves in the closet nor the laundry room recently.  They did try to eat a rug and it became stuck in the brushes.  That caused them to shout something about a wheel being winded.   They, also, decided to get caught under the hutch again and an error code was sent to my cell phone.  Hubby was the one that found them that time.  

While vacuuming under my bed, which they do every morning, somehow the brush caught the end of my earphones.  "Jammed brush" was the call that time.  Then they did not want to let go of the cord.  Guess they were wanting to listen to some music while cleaning.  That's where they are like me.  I really like cranking up some old vinyls on our old Sylvania portable stereo.  Nothing like some Elvis, Willie or Roger Miller to get the feet moving and the rooms cleaned!

Feeling great this morning I set to doing some extra cleaning in the kitchen area while Robbie vacuumed.  Stainless steel sinks were covered with spots that only a good scrubbing would remove.  That done I moved to removing the crumb buildup in the toaster.  Cleaned and polished the granite counter tops.  Changed Robbie from a vacuum to a mop attachment and set him back to work while I finished the kitchen.  Leaving Robbie to the mopping I moved to the patio.  Cleaned the 'so streaked and speckled I could not get decent photos' patio door.  Cleaned the glass bistro table top, emptied scraps into the worm farm and headed back inside.

By this time Hubby was up and sort of moving.  I grabbed a cold protein water, took a couple of sips and headed to the bathroom.  Always like to freshen counters, sinks and stool before company arrives.   I had not planned to dust but what the hey I was still feeling good so why not.  Now mind you this was not one of those take everything down kind of dustings.  No, this was a lick and a promise kind of dusting.  Still made the place look a bit better.  Robbie had long since completed the mopping.  I did the daily cleaning of  Robbie's dirt tray and put the mopping attachment away.  Grabbed the protein water and sat down in the same place I am now.  It was 8:30 AM.

The remainder of the morning I just took my time getting dressed.  Even painted my nails.  At 11:26 my phone rang and our friends were here!  We drove to a nearby pizza place.  Pizza, salads and garlic cheese bread was ordered.  Twenty minutes later we headed back to the apartment and enjoyed a nice meal.  Even nicer conversations continued until after 3:30 PM.  Linda needed to get home to get things prepped for the food truck she operates in her retirement.  Byes were said with the socially correct elbow bumps.  The friends from that other life walked away again.

That other life of thirty somethings making a living.  Building lives and families.  Or in the case of Sharon building a career and friendships.  That long ago life of hopes, dreams, and joy.  Also, the long ago life of hard lessons learned, of dashed hopes.  Some dreams became nightmares.  But for 95% of the time just really good living and loving.  Making friendships that have carried us into the evening of our years.  

The sun has set in the west.  It is the opposite side of our complex.  The shadows on the buildings have disappeared.  Shadows yielding to the twilight, to the evening of this Thursday, June 11, 2020.  It has been a glorious day.

Good health and safe travels,

Janice