Not exactly a clean freak

My mom is coming to visit my newish apartment for the first time tomorrow. Now, you'd think at 45, this wouldn't still freak me out so much and make me want to make everything look good for her visit, but it does. She's 86 and can barely read the paper anymore, but she'll notice (and comment on!) any dirty little corner or pile of rubbish in my place so today when I looked around at my perpetual mess, I figured I better try my best to sweep up the dust bunnies, scrub the grime, polish the shiny things, and wash the dishes. Ick.

Did I mention I hate cleaning? That gene that says "I'm so content because every last piece of everything in my home is clean and put away" must have skipped me. That joy people get when their place is clean is about as joyful as I get when the gynecologist at my annual exam says "here, let me warm this up a bit so it'll be more comfortable." What?? No, there's no way that'll make my visit any more pleasant. Just like me scrubbing my toothbrush holder of old dried off toothbrush is not going to make my bathroom visits any more joyful.

So, as I was doing the bare necessities of cleaning tonight, I got through it by thinking of everything in the world I like better than cleaning. The list is really never ending, but here's a few that randomly popped in my head right away.

• I like the smell of my puppy better. Even after she goes on  a long walk with me and is radiating all that good ol' doggy heat.
• I like the taste of leftover Kraft Mac & Cheese better. Sprinkle enough salt on it and it's heaven compared to cleaning.
• I like the rainbow swirl of oil in puddles in the parking lot better. 
• I like watching Hulu commercials better - especially if  they're REI commercials.
• I like forcing my youngest out of bed in the morning better (this one can actually be fun if done correctly).
• I like the feeling of hot sweat running down my back on a humid day better.

And the list goes on and on. Why do I like all of those things better? Simply because they are parts of enjoying life and spending time with ones I love and all of those things are better than cleaning. No one will say I had an amazingly clean apartment when I die, but hopefully, they'll say I spent most of my life doing what I want with my loved ones.