If you've been reading this blog, you probably know that I'm not a big fan of cleaning. I mean I do it because one has to. Well, one doesn't have to. I've been in plenty of places that didn't ascribe to that philosophy. So let me rephrase that to one should. Whether one does it or not is one's own business -- until it becomes the business of the Department of Health or an exterminator. Or an unruly mob of angry neighbours with pitchforks and torches. So far anyway, my neighbours still like me. Except one. But that's got nothing to do with the state of cleanliness of my place.
Okay, we've established that I don't particularly like cleaning. But there is one aspect of it that I love. Love, love, love. Sweeping. I love to sweep. Really. It is, for me at least, the most satisfying of the household chores. Vacuuming, dusting, and scrubbing have nothing on a good sweep.
So when I decided today was garage cleaning day I wasn't going, 'oh crap, it's garage cleaning day.' I was going, 'yay, it's garage cleaning day.' Well maybe 'yay' is pushing it a bit, because after all, it's still cleaning. But cleaning the garage is more or less just one hell of a lot of sweeping. All those spiders and wood bugs and cobwebs and pine needles and general detritus that migrate in there on shoes and tires and lawn mowers -- it's sweepers heaven.
And for outside sweeping, nothing beats a good old-fashioned corn broom. Nylon, rubber or synthetic will simply not do. Well they'll do, but the satisfying scrape on the concrete will be missing. Kind of like when they took the corn broom out of curling. Sure, I get why they did it. No one wants their rock stopped dead by an errant piece of broom on the ice. But the soft buzz of nylon on ice just doesn't compare to the slapping of the old brooms amidst the cries of 'Hurry, hard!' Let's face it -- sweeping was the only part of curling that actually felt like exercise.
And how much more satisfying does it get than wearing that broom down to a nub?
Man, I am way too easily pleased.
Two questions...1) do you curl? I do and you're dead on about the sweeping being the only form of exercise. Although after curling season I often feel as though one thigh has gotten more developed from all the tension of trying to sweep w/o wearing two grippers. I'm old fashioned and uncoordinated...can't get the sweeping down wearing two grippers!
ReplyDeleteAnd 2) when are you coming to visit me? I've got a dusty double garage and an under utilized corn broom!
Two answers...1) I used to curl, haven't for quite some time. And I never wore two grippers -- one slider, one gripper. Beats breaking a hip!
ReplyDeleteAnd 2) oh, I have a plan, but can't reveal it yet...it may take a year or two or three to come to fruition. But save that broom for me!