Thursday 5 June 2008

Good Housekeeping

Have I mentioned that I absolutely suck at setting up a home? One major reason for this is my innate taste runs toward a minimalism that bothers other permanent and temporary residents. I like the walls bare. I like to sit on the floor, so I think couches are unnecessary. I hate the television so would rather not own one, if that were a possibility. If Kenny were not a social ant, who has a family, and guests (all of whom she loves) her house would have the following:

1. Mattress for sleeping
2. Refrigerator
3. Washing machine
4. Bookshelves
5. Boxes of books
6. Ten-piece stainless steel cookware set
7. Computer + Table + Chair
8. Spoons
9. Cupboard with clothes

Thats it probably. I LOVED this flat when we first got here. Bare white walls. Nice flooring. All thoroughly empty. Slowly, over the years, we have acquired couches, entertainment center, TV, several bookshelves, two beds, two cupboards, kitchen cabinets, another cabinet, end tables, dining table (huge ass one) with six chairs, center table, shoe rack, a DVD player (which works once in a while), and a gazillion toys. The niece and the monster daughter have contributed tons of art to the walls. Numerous photos and so on have been stuck here and there as decoration, including a particularly red pillayar thing that I got for being a judge once. The husband's constant whine requesting a huge Geetopadesha for the living room wall has so far been stalled, but I know its only a matter of time (I particularly dislike things in the house that are fat, big, or red, oh yeah, and I hate artificial flowers).

One day I declared to the husband, look, I am going to become a domestic goddess soon. He burst out in laughter. I bought a magazine (got a Mills & Book free with it, and read it quickly). It was unhelpful. I got more magazines. I took out a note-pad to jot down my thoughts. I got the Argos Hypercity catalogue as the nearest thing to IKEA for IDEAS. They all went nowhere. Meanwhile the husband has challenged me. He says its not in my DNA. Despite the fact that there is my mother's house (which is quite spectacularly organised, and clean beyond compare). I hate to turn down a challenge. So, I have, technically, at least in my mind, taken it up.

Currently though I am struggling with-
1. Lack of system for folding clothes and putting them away promptly
2. The losing battle against fine dust
3. Unidentified boxes of stuff (I suspect they are class notes of husband - I never took any notes, thankfully, err I make up for it now but thats all in my office)
4. Monster-related Lego, Toys, Jigsaws, Books
5. Wires - this stuff is horrid. Chargers. Connectors for: Phone to PC + Camera to PC + Videocam to PC + DVD player to TV + lots of other strange looking things I don't dare throw
6. Laminated photos (we have nearly fifty on the wall - don't ask - and probably fifty elsewhere)
7. Useless light fixtures and parts that have broken off them over the years
8. Tooth brushes belonging to the monster, who has a tooth brush fetish (in addition to a pink fetish)

I am going to devise a strategy, find my gloves and apron, enlist the monster, and go at it. Watch this space.

5 comments:

dipali said...

It's a constant battle- especially with the husband bringing sundry files home and leaving them all over the place, and never ever looking at them again. I have great and noble intentions and do throw out stuff periodically, but I think stuff is winning the battle(:
Oh for empty bookshelves, waiting to be filled:)

Preeti Aghalayam aka kbpm said...

dipali-
well, yes, empty bookshelves would be nice. but i refuse to buy new ones (we have to buy giant antique clunky ones to match the ones we already have) till the mystery of the vaguely MBA looking material on the bottom shelf is solved.
i am the one that brings more files though. oops. But now i am a changed woman. I am walking around asking myself 'would a domestic goddess do this? or that?'
since she would not be replying to comments when the floor is strewn with puzzles, i will go away now. :)

dipali said...

Attagirl, domestic goddess:)

Airspy said...

can you post a few pix of your queendom? please. make your blog colourful. dont impose your minimalist rules here.

Choxbox said...

okay thats how our flat looks like right now - its bare except for basic essentials. in a few weeks all junk will get unleashed.