FRODO SEVEN : Manic Monday

Me, my babe and my new-do

I know- it looks exactly the same but it is in fact 2 1/2 inches shorter

Along with the rest of America, we spent Sunday night watching the Super Bowl. There's not much to say about that other than I'm glad the Steelers won. We watched the game on G & G Doyle's high-def TV (I honestly can't say I notice the difference but maybe that's because I'm not a TV connoisseur). We stayed until the third quarter when it became obvious that the girls were not going to settle down to sleep so we took them home and watched the fourth quarter there.

I woke up Monday feeling a little behind the curve. We'd had a big weekend with not enough down time so I was feeling a little rushed and unprepared. Then I read something on the internet that made me mad. Fortunately, I don't get angry very often but when I do, I do one of two things (yesterday, I did both). I clean the house like a mad woman, giving away absolutely everything we haven't used in the last six months and I cut my hair.

I am the anti- pack rat and have a deathly fear of being buried alive under piles of stuff so giving things away is one of my basic needs- along with eating and sleeping. I find that purging while angry works best for me because my sentimentality disappears and things that are on the borderline become completely dispensable. This hobby of mine is the sole reason we live comfortably in our Not-So-Big House and that people can never believe that seven people live here. There are only two regrets I've had about things I've given away over the years. A nice leather jacket that I didn't like but should have sold and a little chair, given to Grace by our old nanny. She never sat in it but apparently liked it a lot because she was upset when it was gone (I try not to give away things dear to the kids but they come to us as little pack rats so I have to help them a little).

Monday is laundry day so I started by attacking that with a vengeance. I think I washed everything we own. I gave Mia double the independent work she usually gets and I moved on to tackle a project that's been waiting for awhile- Mia, Grace and Sophie's room. They supposedly clean their room as part of their chores and they do an okay job but they never get to the spots on or under their dresser, under the bed or in the closet. I always find interesting things when I clean their room- little collections that I haven't known were dear to them. The most interesting thing I found yesterday was an under-the-bed collection of corks and bottle caps that Mia has been saving in an old oatmeal container. How she's been sneaking them out of the kitchen without us noticing is anyone's guess. I don't know what to do with them but I can't bring myself to throw them away-yet.

By the time I was done, I had a huge box for the trash and a big bag to go to Good Will. I'm always glad to visit my buddies there.

After doing math with Mia, I headed to get Madeleine and then to the salon- I was lucky they had an opening on such short notice. I rarely plan my appointments in advance. When I decide it's time for a change, it's time-today. I have even been known to cut my own hair but that doesn't work out so well so I don't do that anymore. I walked out feeling like a new woman. I'm not sure what it is about purging and changing my hair that make me feel better. Maybe it's the illusion of being more in control. In any case, by the end of the day, the anger had turned more to annoyance, House was on and life was good.