Wed 03/18/2009 2:40 PM

a clean house for once

View of the condo as you walk in the front door. Cleanest it's been since we moved in!

This past Sunday we had our first dinner guests in over a year. Brooskey's behavior was so atrocious the last time we tried to have company over, that we were too embarrassed to try it again. But he's gotten much better, and we need to get Vixen used to being around other people besides us. We eat dinner at Joe and Sandra's house at least a couple of times a month, so we invited them and our friend Shanley over for some baked stuffed shrimp and steak-pineapple-mushroom kebabs. Yes, it was also our first use of the grill this year!

As you can imagine, our busy life combined with not having anyone over for a long time, makes for a pretty messy condo. So after a trip to the Rhode Island Pet Expo and lunch in downtown Providence on Saturday, we had to start cleaning. We got a good start on it Saturday afternoon before settling down to watch some TV, but come Sunday morning it was on. Chris took Brooskey for a quick visit to the dog park first so that he would behave while we worked, and while they were gone I worked out on Wii Fit, knowing that would wake me up and get me going. As soon as they got back, we started cleaning, Chris working on the food prep at the same time. With exception of a twenty minute jaunt to Walmart for some carpet deodorizer and propane for the grill, we went non-stop all day, not even stopping to eat any lunch (oddly we weren't hungry either). I vacuumed, shredded junk mail, and put away various items that were scattered on the dining room and coffee tables, while Chris cooked, cleared the kitchen counters and sink, and mopped floors. We took turns taking a quick shower when we were done, and I was just finishing fixing my hair when the guests arrived.

The "sitting area" and front window as seen from the dining room table.

The food came out awesome. Well, I have to take everyone else's word for it on the shrimp - shellfish allergies suck! The kebabs were a recipe we saw on Food Network, and we added portabella mushroom pieces marinated in Italian dressing to make it our own. They were delicious. It's definitely a recipe we will make again, and we might just try doing full steaks in the parsley marinade sometime without the pineapple.

Oh, and the dogs were awesome too. So well behaved the entire day, both while we were cleaning and while our guests were there. Brooskey kept his head off the table while we were eating, though he did sit right between Chris' legs the whole time. Baby steps. Vixen was shy but did let both Shanley and Sandra hold her briefly. She couldn't stifle her curiosity when we were all sitting around the table eating... I don't think she's ever seen us eat at the table!

It was an exhausting weekend, but I can't wait to have many more of them this year. I'm so happy that winter is over!

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2 comments/trackbacks

comment: from Dana

Looks AWESOME!!! I know how tough it can be to keep up....now I am curious though....how does it look behind that door to your office? LOL I cheat sometimes by moving my messes to the rooms people can't see!!! When people leave I put the messes back where they "live". If I have to do it frequently then I will be motivated to actually find a permanent home for it!! I have too much stuff.

Wed 03/18/2009 4:21 PM

comment: from HelloKit

LOL, the office doesn't matter, it's not a "public" area! It is a mess, but a lot of that is because it's the only storage space we have. My side of the computer desk is clean.

The bedroom is one giant mountain of laundry, too, but that's what happens when you have a broken down washing machine. Saturday's service appointment got canceled because the part didn't come in. It came today and we are now rescheduled for this Saturday.

Wed 03/18/2009 4:29 PM

a clean house for once

2 comments/trackbacks

comment: from Dana

comment: from HelloKit

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