Tales of the Housekeeper, the final chaper.

My new years resolution for 2011 was to create a simpler life. Clearly there are some things in my life that I can't get rid of such as a job and children, but I decided that things that were causing me stress that could be eliminated, should be eliminated.

My housekeeper causes me stress. I know that sound ridiculous, but its true. I decided that a clean house should bring me peace, not stress and every week I dread Wednesday when Rosalina comes. Our agreement is that she spend 6 hours a week cleaning my house. I make a list each week of what I want her to clean. Originally I had rotating weeks, such as Week A, Week B and Week C, and each week had different things to clean, the problem was she could never recall what week she was on, so she would do a particular list several times in a row and other lists would rarely get completed, which is why I decided I had to make a list each week of what I wanted clean during her 6 hour stay on Wednesday. Now she does not speak English very well, but at least she reads English.

There are things she cleans each week, and then I have other areas that get added to the list as needed. Now here is the problem....when she comes on Wednesday she is here from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and I am here during that same time period. Now logically you would think she would move from room to room completing the cleaning of the room as she goes...nooooo she will do one thing in one room, then something in another room, and basically takes over my WHOLE entire house, leaving me no where to go. I get to hang out in my guest bedroom for six hours. Its a drag.

Now you might ask why not have her come when you are not there. Rick tried that. (She has been his housekeeper too, she drove him as nuts as she drive me, he used the excuse when he moved in 2009 that he no longer needed her in order to free himself.) He gave her a key and they arranged for her to come on a specific day and time. Well she thought since she had a key, the specific date and time was only a suggestion and she could reschedule at her convenience. Rick never knew when she was going to come. Add to the problem, that you have to put away your clutter BEFORE she comes, other wise you will never see your stuff again, because NOTHING ends up in its logical place, which really becomes an issue if you don't know when she is going to come. So I knew giving her a key would not work. I needed to be here to let her in on our arranged day to make sure she came on the arranged day. Plus the reality of my super demanding schedule is that it really does not work for me to have my house cleaned at different times and days each week. I need to know when she will be there so I can plan accordingly.

The other issue I discovered is that if I don't stay here the entire time, she does a "rush" job on the cleaning, and cuts out about two hours early, but still expects to be paid for the whole six hours. Which quite frankly I would be happy to pay if the quality of the cleaning was the same.

So that leaves me a prisoner in my own home and a slave to my cleaning lady. ENOUGH. I decided this was an area of stress I could eliminate. I told her at the first of the year. Last week was her last week. I am happily excited to clean my own toilet again and mop my own floor.

Rick is surprised I didn't do this sooner.....