learning small things the inconvenient way

before going to bed last night night, i cleaned the kitchen

put the dishes away, cleaned the counter tops, etc

this has not always been a routine for me

i made the comment to GT that I can't believe the disastrous state that i left our kitchen in most of the time when we first got married. 

i had no idea the difference that a clean kitchen made.

now, i need to have it cleaned (or semi-decent) before going to bed.

our kitchen is a pass-through. you can't avoid it. so having it orderly is a bonus.

the other day i was in a particularly stressed-out mood.

school, tiredness, work, pregnancy, kid, life, house-cleaning, etc...you now-probably being dramatic.

anywhooo

i cleaned the kitchen and immediately felt better.

i thought to myself- now, if i can just keep a clean kitchen, then all is well.

(sooooo dramatic and lame, i know).

cue kitchen sink disaster.

the next day, our garbage disposal faulted and the sink got clogged.

like, seriously, disgustingly and not fixable clogged.

GT tried, bless him.

he's a good, patient man and is a great plumber/fixer-of-anything, but this mess was for the pros.

the pro's with a 75-foot long snake thing.

i had over-estimated the power of our garbage disposal and threw potatoes down the sink.

ok, ok, ok-it was probably the culmination of me taking advantage of the disposal over the past few years and throwing everything but our couch cushions in. 

GT tells me often to be "gentle" with it.

ok. in goes the entire roast.

not too long ago we had an argument discussion about putting coffee grounds down the disposal.

obviously, you can do that (or so i thought)

no way, he said. it'll ruin it.

whatevs.

but, i did oblige and started throwing my used grounds in the trash.

too late.

so, GT has to go out of town, but calls a plumber.

mr.plumber-man (my hero) sweeps in and cleans out the pipes and our wallets.

i don't care-   i have my kitchen back.

before he leaves, he feels it behooves him to give me a mini lecture about proper disposal use.

this lecture did include instructions on disposing of coffee grounds in the trash. "oh yeah, they'll stop it up for sure". thank you sir. 

GT says he would've paid for that alone.

after cleaning up the stinky mess and retrieving and cleaning the unwashed dishes from our half-bath (that had accumulated over 2 days), our kitchen was back in business.

and perhaps my attitude was, too. 

thank you, life.

thank you for that lesson.

i reckon that my attitude should not hinge on a clean kitchen alone.

and i should probably listen to my husband on occasion...or more often.