Lazy Is as Lazy Does

There are so many things that are calling out to me to get done around the house, yet I’ve somehow slipped into lazy summer mode. All I want to do is sip some lemonade, get some sun (without melting from temps in the upper 90s the past two weeks) and relax.

A co-worker jokes that “lazy” for me is probably more like a normal day for him. I know, I know — I don’t like to sit still. But occasionally, it truly does happen. I can follow your definition of a nice, lazy day of doing nothing, Carlo!

But what I really need to do is give this house a thorough cleaning. That, and we need to get the spackler back here to finish the job he started a month ago. My father-in-law recommended the guy, but his appearances have been few and far between, much to my chagrin. He showed up twice while we were on vacation at the end of June, but has only been back twice since then — and there’s another coat and sanding that needs to get done before we can move on to painting. And if you know me well, you know I don’t abide folks who don’t do things in a timely manner — and don’t show up when they say they’re going to show up.

So for now, I’m waiting impatiently, but biting my tongue. It’s not an easy task, since I’ve become an outspoken person in my old age.  Mark my words, I won’t be hiring this guy again, nor will I be recommending him to anyone else.

All I can think about right now is the fact that after this room is (finally) completed, we’ll need to finish the rest of the second floor, which includes a small hallway, full bathroom and another bedroom (which is the one we’re in right now). We’ll have to move all our stuff into the renovated room and then tackle everything else. It’s taken 9 months to get this far, with the help of Mr. Saver, my father-in-law, and especially my dad and brother, who have spent many a Saturday here working their asses off — THANK YOU! — and it will be wonderful to have it finished. But besides gutting the rooms and painting them at the end, I think we’re gonna leave the rest to the professionals this time.

Oh, and there’s the kitchen, too, which needs to be painted. I had gotten some samples and made my choice of color, but the can of paint has been sitting there throughout this heatwave — even I’m not that much of a glutton for punishment.

So here’s to being lazy — at least, as lazy as I get, in my world. I think it’s time to sit in the yard, sun myself and sip on that glass of lemonade.

10 comments to Lazy Is as Lazy Does

  • Nothing bugs me more than people who say they’ll do something…and don’t keep their word.

    I’m pretty lazy when it comes to cleaning. I don’t vacuum in corners or below the bed, only dust when I notice cobwebs/excessive sneezing, and lucky to turn the bed once every two years. Had a big cleaning spree (for me) this week though – even cleaned down the side behind the stove, organised the pantry and rearranged our main rooom – I love everything feeling cleaner, airier and more spacious!

  • I think the summer sun can account for a little bit of laziness in everyone. I’ve been wanting to sit on the porch by 4pm and just hang out. I, too, like to stay busy, but the warmth and the longer days remind me of summer vacation. Oh, wait. I am on summer vacation, sort of! It also sounds like you’ve accomplished a lot in your house and are working towards completing it. House projects always take longer than planned.

  • Dan

    We had been putting off swapping out our front screen door for a different one (our neighbor replaced hers, so we took her old one) since last fall. Our neighbor had graciously kept it in her garage. Finally, today, Casey wakes me up at 11 and says it’s beautiful out, we’re doing it today.

    Once the old door was off, we found that the new one was about 1 1/4 inches wider (despite our houses being the same). We contemplated putting the old one back on, but I knew that would just leave us putting the job off further, so we walked next door to the window and door store (seriously, next door; probably the first people to actually benefit from such a retail neighbor). One of their guys came over, removed the two boards on either side of the door, took them back to the shop, trimmed them, and reinstalled them. Voila! New front door! And he didn’t even charge us anything!

    My point: We just had to dive in and do it, and it got done. (But now I have to get some caulk to fix some of the new nail holes, sand the boards and repaint — hopefully I tackle that by the end of the week.)

    Sorry for the length.

  • We do all our spackling ourselves because there are no reliable folks in my area. I’m sure businesses would thrive if they just answered their messages.

    I really wonder if there’s a recession going on.

  • Carlo

    Believe me, Mrs. Saver, I wish I had half of your energy and motivation. I had a lot more I was going to write, but… I don’t know. I just don’t feel like doing anything right now.

  • It’s ok to take a little time off to relax!

    I’m like you and sometimes have trouble just doing “nothing” when there are so many things to do. We’ve had some work done in our house too, but I’m doing all the painting myself.

    I’m not sure exactly what you need done but I would definitely recommend the guys we are using. Showed up on time, very professional, and competitive pricing.

  • I understand your current lazy…I too am feeling the pull. 🙂

    My to-do list doesn’t have as many huge things on it, but it’s gotten to be two pages of little stuff I need to do around the house. For example, we need to return a spice rack that we ended up not needing, sell a board game I accidentally bought not knowing my husband already owned it, and do a billion little chores like fixing the leaky toilet in the guest bathroom…

    I’ve successfully put all of this off for about two weeks, but I think I’ll be tackling some of it pretty soon since I’m getting annoyed with my own procrastination…

    • Nicole

      @BITFS: Thanks for the reminder — I also have something I don’t need that has to be returned to the store. The weather has been baking us here in the Northeast the past few weeks!

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