PMS

From the political to the personal. I just have to ask, WTF do I spend an entire weekend and two nights this week getting the house ready for an onslaught of the relatives for T-day? More to the point, why are they the one thing that motivates me to take care of crap that's been lying around for months? PMS stands for "Pre-Mother Syndrome" in my house. It is the frantic activity we go through in order to prepare the house for the upcoming visit of my mother.

For example:

1. I spent what seemed like hours shredding old, useless bills and financial records that had been gathering dust for months.

2. I bought three lamps to replace the three that have, for years, been limited to either: a. using a pliers to change the switch, or b. unplugging and plugging back in to turn the rusty old pile of shit on or off. What in the world is it that makes me accept this kind of crap up until the day a relative might enter my house and be burdened with the piece of shit?

3. We finally, through joint effort, cleared off the dining room table, thus allowing us to get up off our knees (when using the living room coffee table) to have a decent meal together.

I do respect my relatives and want them to have a relaxing time on T-Day. But why the hell don't I respect my own self and my family enough to fix these things so that we can enjoy them on an everyday basis?

I pride myself on being able to put up with junk that others cannot withstand. It is a benefit of my stressful upbringing. But that is so last century. There really is no reason why I need to continue to put up with useless crap. Just because it's a habit doesn't mean it has to continue.

And just in case I leave the wrong impression, my mother is a wonderful woman who could care less about these details. Nevertheless, it is her visits that provide the motivation for me to deal with all these petty issues that I've ignored for months on end.

Sheesh!