lifestyle thoughts

[Sandy]

He is urban, likes fine restaurants, has a beautiful home with a well landscaped yard and wears a tux to the opera. I am rural, like beans and rice, live in an apartment, love to garden and maybe you can get me into a pantsuit for the symphony.

This is a great statement! Earlier in my life and career, I thought that it was important to be that urban-type person. I thought that it was important to be sophisticated as a measure of intelligence. I am not exactly sure where this view came from. As I have aged and matured I realize I have always more naturally been in the rural-type camp. I am definately more comfortable here.

 

[OAG]

Dawg52 - Bob is still around. I was doing some early morning surfing (channel type) last Saturday and came across him. Not sure what station but I don't think it was HGTV or PBS. I think the show as something like "Home Again" with Bob Villa. The "new" This Old House is pretty good and the "Ask This Old House" show, which usually follows the TOH show is good too.

 

[ERD50]

Is this getting [-]snow[/-]blown out of proportion? I mean, Martha *did* say to the guy that she was dreading the snow blowing chore, right? I would think that a casual conversation reply might be 'hey, if you are dreading it, why not hire someone to do it?'. Just does not sound unreasonable to me, no matter the task (taxes, lawn mowing, changing oil in the car, root canal, appendectomy, ...).

Now, had Martha said, ' I'm really looking forward to getting out in the brisk weather and getting some exercise with my snow shovel - I enjoy the time outside', then maybe you all have a point.

-ERD50

 

[Martha]

If we dreaded doing all chores to the point of hiring them out, not many of us would be ER'd. (Though you might note that I did hire out the snowblowing for the next storm )

One other time this same guy suggested that we buy a very nice house across the street from him. Cost was about $800,000. Now I would seriously dread having to work for a few extra years to buy that house. As I said, different lifestyles.

 

[citrine]

That would not be good for me. I would have three bedrooms with matresses on the floor instead of one, and two bathrooms that give me fits to keep clean. Even when I was young, I couldn't figure out why Americans seemed willing to turn themselves into slaves to their homes.

I don't think I have the domestic gene.

Ha

I absolutely agree with you Ha.....I have to create the mood to clean my 1 bedroom apartment.....I cannot even fathom having a two story home with multiple bedrooms and bathrooms to clean....I would definitely have a fit.

 

[retiringby50]

We moved from a two bedroom, two bath townhouse to a two-story 4 bedroom 3 bath single family home. DD was 2 at the time, and we only have 1 child. Yeah, big difference in the cleaning. By the time I'm done w/one floor, I'm worn out already. There's probably been only two times in the last 8 years in which each one of us was in a bathroom, probably because we were ready to leave for a long drive. Even when we've had 12-14 people here, about once every 3 months for family get togethers, it's been rare that all three bathrooms have been used. Yet around here, you HAVE to have at least two bathrooms.

Regarding the original post, about once a month, I do hire a housecleaner to come because I can do other things while he/she's cleaning, and it's worth it for me to have 4-5 hours to do those other things. I declutter before the person shows up, so it's also an incentive for me to get my bottom moving!