The BigFoot Club

This morning there was frost on the ground.  Yesterday morning, it was 27.0 F.  I didn’t even look at the outdoor thermometer this time.  The Newfs had let me sleep to a reasonable time (for a Sunday) before asking me to get up to let them outside.  That was very gracious.  I notice more often that Jade, now 4 years of age, is transitioning from young adult to an elegant level of maturity, with more of the awareness that comes with maturity.  They are lovely company.  I sat up, collected my bearings, then put on a pair of sweats and started walking toward the back door.  I escorted Jade down the back steps, as the weather change has re-launched her sense of invincibility.  (She may sail through the air with the greatest of ease, but the landings from such flights are unavoidable, and usually on the concrete.)  Corky went out with the Newfs, only to zip back to the house as fast as possible.  I asked him if he pooped, and the dismay in his expression clearly showed that he knew he would need to dig deep, find the courage to face the cold and go back to the potty yard.  He trotted away quickly, not in joy but in the desire to get it over with.  I closed the door and started the next load of laundry, and in what seemed to be no time, Parker began barking.  It wasn’t the usual bark that says “I’m ready to come back inside”, it was more urgent and insistent.  I finished loading the washer while he persisted, then I realized that Corky must be turning blue!  Boston Terriers don’t have much temperature resistance, hot or cold, and while there may be a fair amount of drama about it when there is a +/- 5 degree shift, at 27 degrees, 40 seconds was a very long time!

I began cooking breakfast, theirs and mine:  one slice of bacon for me, one for Parker, one for me, one for Jade, one for me, one for Corky.  Doesn’t seem quite fair, now that I count back.  <g>  As I put the bacon in the microwave, I noticed that it could use a good cleaning.  I began frying eggs.  Usually the Newfs get boiled eggs, kept in the frig in the original carton, since frying creates unhealthful components in the oils.  But humans have bad habits, and when eggs are fried for people, eggs are fried for the dogs too – an illicit delicacy.

One of the reasons that marital bliss isn’t always bliss is that minds who may share similar values still don’t follow the same path.  For example, I prefer organization.  This allows me to locate an item that I need without losing time searching for it.  Greg prefers Fast! So he puts things wherever there is a vacancy large enough to contain whatever he has finished using.  Sometimes the containment spot he finds is above my eye level, which can be in complete oblivion to me.  Sometimes, it is in the same cabinet, or even the same drawer, but it isn’t where I am looking for it.  The converse can have its results too.  Greg has called when I was traveling, telling me about trying to fry a boiled egg.  I don’t know if he did this in humor or because there was an open slot big enough for a carton of eggs, but the first egg that I tried to crack startled me.  It was stiff and hard yellow material emerged.  <g>  Caught in my own trap!  I usually put the boiled eggs beside the fresh eggs on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.  He had put the boiled eggs in the area where I keep the fresh eggs.

As a part of the temperature change that comes with the season, the angle of light from the sun changes.  This “puts a whole new light” on the kitchen.  When you live with big hairy slobbering dogs, you can’t afford an excessive need for house cleaning.  You find ways to manage maintenance tasks on a low time budget, and you develop an appreciation for those products that reduce time and effort, without exposing you to chemicals that have been launched into a “population study”.  Libman has become one of my favorite companies.  Cellulose sponge mops do a marvelous job of cleaning walls and cabinets.  The cellulose sponge doesn’t leave excessive wetness on the surface.  My fast method of cleaning is to use a cheap broom, with flexible bristles, to scrub walls and lower cabinets with cleaning solution, then follow with a sponge mop.  The bristles do a good job of cleaning crevices like those in base molding.  This requires that the walls and baseboard be sealed well.  (for which I’ve developed an appreciation for Sherwin-Williams, although I would bet that they don’t anticipate some of the ways that I use their paints)

The range/oven in our kitchen was selected based on the needs of our household.  The knobs are at the back, out of ease of reach from Newfoundlands who may become curious about what is on the stove.  The control panel is made to allow easier cleaning.  The top is a one-piece Schott glass product, which makes cleanups from spills much easier.  My husband has begun using the glass top for heating tortillas.  This method of preparing a tortilla (heating over a burner) is typical for many southern immigrants, and there is a clear improvement to fajitas or carnitas when the tortilla is toasted immediately before eating.  Fortunately, the glass top is easily cleaned with ceramic cooktop cleaner.  Even with follow-up cleaning though, it’s hard to not worry about any residues from using that cleaner.  It may not be on his wish list, but he may get a griddle for Christmas.

With the change in the angle of light (whether it is spring or fall), and a nice sunny morning, what becomes apparent is the need for a detail cleaning, for all of those places that are missed in the maintenance cleanings.  The first thing on my list was those little spots of polymerized oils on the range/oven, where an accumulation of quick cleanups missed a spot or left residue.  I no longer use cotton balls for cleaning Newf ears, but have a large supply that I also use for cleaning the tacky spots of polymerized oil.  One of my cleaning chemicals is 91% isopropyl alcohol, applied to cotton balls.  Now the oven is shiny again.

It isn’t always easy to recognize, but I am my mother’s daughter.  Sometimes it is nice to clean the house well, then enjoy it for the short time it lasts!

Yesterday, I worked on the camping trailer, today the house, one room at a time!  Next, the Newfs!  Then I need to resolve the problem with the router, and . . .  Don’t you wish that weekends lasted a little longer?

PS Another of those things to consider when getting your first Newf: How big is your “broom closet?” You may end up with multiple brooms, mops & many miscellaneous cleaning tools!