Everyday Disasters

Month: February 2007

  • Training the Maid

    The new maid has finally arrived. Your first task is to convince her that you don’t want her to clean the house.

  • In Defense of Clutter

    I often read about ways to organize my life and eliminate clutter. It sounds very seductive – relieve stress, find your keys instantly, purify your mind. I wonder though about the other values you embrace on your way to a clutter-free life.

  • It’s Important Not to Let Your Kids Torture the Maid

    Dee’s Story Dee is a respectable matron with a responsible position in municipal government, but she wasn’t always. In fact, Dee seems to have been a bit of a terror. In the ancient times of party lines and B&W TV, Dee attended Kindergarten. Since she came from a well-to-do and progressive family her father would…

  • How Likely Is It That The Gulf Stream Will Actually Stop?

    There’s only about a 10% possibility (very unlikely) that there would be an abrupt climate change event in the 21st century according to the 2006 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Does considering that a 30-year old male with a new baby will probably buy life insurance for the next 20 years on his 5 1/2%…

  • Culprit Tax (Carbon Tax) to Pay For Disaster Preparedness

    That said, paying for disaster preparations takes some money & taxing the culprit to both generate the funds needed for planning and as a deterrent makes sense.

  • Preparing For The Maid’s Arrival

    My mother always cleaned before the maid came. I swore I’d never do that. Sociologists 100 years from now will probably blame the Internet phenomenon of publishing one’s most private details on children watching the insanity of their mother cleaning the house before the maid arrived. It didn’t help that mothers wanting their children to…

  • Cleaning Supplies for the New Maid

    Cleaning items should be on hand and organized before the maid arrives. The maid will need:

  • The Maid and Her Mop

    The mop of choice for many maids is a string mop. It allows them to wet all surfaces and pick up any pieces they may have missed when sweeping. It doesn’t really clean your floors. If she doesn’t express a preference, try getting her to use a sponge mop. If she says she prefers a…

  • Cleaning Fluids

    Most maids are set in the way they use their equipment and even the cleaning supply brands they use. Unless you own a cleaning solution manufacturing plant, go with their choice. It’s not important. I like vinegar in water for floors, glass and cabinet cleaning (2 T/gal). I have fond delusions that it may cut…

  • One Way to Think About A Community Disaster

    Here’s a picture from PostSecret, a blog in the running for best American blog & best of year for 2006 (vote here through February 2, 2007). Not necessarily the way I’d like to think about disaster but perhaps something to keep in mind if you didn’t plan anything (or those days when the plans really…