Cleaning Is A Dirty Word

I've been back home 5 days and my suitcases are still on the living room settee.

It's the same every year. I tend to do very little the first week back and that includes unpacking. It must have been different in my working days but after being retired for almost 10 years, I've forgotten those days !

I'm sure the first priority for most people returning after a holiday would be to do the laundry. Not for me. My checked case WAS full of clothes but all of it clean. Just needs to be put away.

No my workload on returning is somewhat different and involves work I hate to even think about doing, never mind actually doing. Actions like cleaning, dusting and vacuuming don't come easy to me at any time and certainly not after being in Florida for 6 months. It needs to be done but I'm an award winning procrastinator so it'll just have to be done when it's done. I have cleaned the kitchen already and that took several hours as, once again, I forgot to put my daily utensils and cutlery away before I left and so they were 'coated' with 6 months of neglect, shall we say. Everything had to be washed and once you start, it doesn't end till the whole kitchen is sparkling again. Worktops, tiles, units.....you name it, it got cleaned.

So of course after that, I had to take a rest from work and I'm still resting ! I did make more progress this morning.......took all my clothes out of the big case and placed them on another part of the settee. In fact I've emptied the whole case and hey, despite nothing being actually put away, I've an empty suitcase on the settee now. That's progress.

My fridge/freezer is almost empty so a trip to Costco is planned for this afternoon where I'll stock up on bulk items. This will be an expensive business but in the past, the frozen food I get lasts me until I leave for Florida again.

As I'm not planning on returning, that won't be the case today. My last winter in the UK was in 2003 and I think for various reasons that I won't go into here, I'm ready to try it again. Yes it'll be cold, maybe with snow but vive la difference and all that. If I miss warmer weather, I could always winter with the other retirees on the Costa Del Seniors in Spain. Too many Brits for my taste though so probably not.

But first Daffy and I are off to The Queens Arms for a spot of buffet lunch. I've already had my fish and chips and Chinese takeaway and this will be the next on my bucket list of gastronomic delights that I miss when in America.

A good old British carvery in a good old British pub.

Home may not be where my heart is, but right now my stomach is happy to be here.