lana taught me to always clean the house before leaving on vacation.


when i was a little girl, i always remember the absolute cleaning frenzy that happened right before we left for a family vacay. we all had to have our rooms cleaned and clothes hung up ( a really hard thing for mindi in her teenage years) and my mom would have the house vacuumed and scrubbed and shining like the chrysler building.

i also remember complaining and whining wondering why were we cleaning? and this is dumb!! lana would just smile and say in her sweet, cheerful voice, "won't it be nice to come home to a clean house? it will feel so good!" i didn't buy it for a second as there was really nothing in my life that was clean or orderly and i didn't think it would feel any different than not cleaning.  wtf.

then russ and i got married and moved into a teensy-tinsy studio-type apartment in the back office of a motel--we were the night managers (translation: nobody on the front desk after 11pm, and people would just ring a bell and poor russ would have to drag his butt to the window. brutal. but free rent.) and i worked for skywest airlines, so we had lots of opportunities to fly places on the weekends.

one weekend before flying out the house was a wreck.  dishes, clothes, clutter, dirty bathroom--the whole works. we said, "what the heck?", walked out the door and boarded a plane to salt lake and the z dance club and bigger and better things.

 we got home late sunday night, exhausted and cranky after getting bumped off of two different flights from slc to sgu and ending up flying into cedar and having someone come and pick us up, and i walked in and saw THE MESS.

it was 11:00 p.m. and i had to be to work at 5:00.  i didn't have any clean garments left and we forgot to get milk for cereal in the morning and i was exhausted and emotional and i burst into tears when i walked into the bedroom and remembered that we didn't have sheets on our bed and it was simply just too much.  i had a complete melt-down, cried myself to sleep and never left my house messy before a trip again.  EVER. 

now every time we leave the house to travel, which in our business is a little bit more than some, our house is sparkling and shiny and clean. and my kids complain and whine a little--good thing to know that some things never change. and there is still no better feeling in the world than when you come home to a clean crib. also cleaning is good for them and then i don't have to do it but let's not concentrate on that......

so i guess i AM turning into my mother a tiny little bit after all.....which is actually quite lovely because i'm the daughter who is the least like my mother (just ask kenny miller) and i will take any small victory i can.  

now if i can just master lana's sweet driving skills of one foot on the brake and one foot on the pedal........ (not kidding) 

15 comments:

Trina said...

I'm that mom, too! My kids hate me.

Amy said...

I am more and more like Viv daily... sometimes good mostly bad. Big Daddy want to kick my butt most times. What is worse is when I sound like Connie... skipping a generation to my grandma!

Kristen said...

I HAVE to have my house clean before leaving on a trip too. My girls and husband whine and complain, butindulge since I'm the one doing all of the packing and can hold it all hostage until I'm ready to go!

R-Eight said...

Wow, I could have written this post. Other than love of Mindi, I didn't think Lana and Donna had much in common. Who woulda thunk?

tammy said...

I have that "I'm becoming my mother" pic on my fridge. Kinda freaky how that starts happening isn't it? But I love coming home to a clean house too, or even just waking up to one.

rachel said...

I am the same way...fridge cleaned out if it is a long trip. The next thing I want to add to the list is a dinner prepared in the freezer so there is something home cooked to come home to. Haven't mastered that yet....

Tiffany said...

It's okay Mindi. Even those of us that swore we'd never be like our moms ARE!

Anonymous said...

According to Ryan it's called OCD but he has since followed suit. I guess it can be attributed to the...happy wife, happy life" motto!! ;)

Anonymous said...

Thats when my house gets the most clean is when we are leaving! I hate, hate coming home to a messy house! All it does is depresses you! Cheers to cleaning before a trip!

BTW! I'm wondering if you know one of my bestest friends from my home town that has worked at Skywest since she got her first pube? Shannette Brookes? Married to Mr. Skywest himself, Clen Brookes? Her maiden name was Shannette VanValkenburg. Cutest thing that walks the planet! If you don't know her, you need to! You two would get along like peaches and cream! Let me know!

Vanessa said...

I'm turning into Cathy everyday. It's scary. I told my husband when I start to guilt trip him over the littlest minute things, he has my permission to shoot me.

kami @ nobiggie.net said...

I am the same way. I love coming how to a clean house!

Next on the list for us to become more like our mothers...we both get brown football helmet haircuts, what do you say?

Ida said...

Well since we Never traveled as children with the rents, I have not mastered the clean up before you leave. I always come home to a messy house. Clothes thrown everywhere while I was looking for the perfect outfit.

carly k said...

I SO hate coming home to a dirty house! I like to go all out and make sure all the laundry is done and that the sheets are clean and the bed is made and clean towels waiting for me and my bath. Seriously, nothing is worse!

Oh, and, Anne Tainter is my FAV!!! Soul sistas fo shizzle! I wanted to use one of her Christmas cards last year to mail out to the family and friends, but I just couldn't justify $1.50 a pop...someday.

Omgirl said...

I have learned that one from having a mother who DIDN'T clean the house before trips. Even as a little girl, I hated coming home to the mess. My kids are going to love where my OCD has taken that one!

Mia said...

Cleaning the house before a vacation is a must for me. I did the same thing, came home to a totally trashed out house and never left it that way again. Ahhh coming home is the best, and coming home to a clean house is the double best.