Week 39 of my Decluttering and Simplyifying 2010 project (of 52 weeks) finds me plopped down in front of my computer again for my weekly update. This week, however, the weather is cool, I’m feeling great and several cleaning projects are underway.
This post’s title doesn’t indicate that I’ve recently discovered something very interesting. And it isn’t any kind of reference to Jack Benny — a comedian who died only shortly after I was born and was known for placing his hand on his face and saying “well” with more emotion than the word can usually tolerate. (It’s a very dated reference, but it came to mind, so why not use it?)
That “Well, Well, Well” is a reference to our water well. Actually, we did, in fact, discover something very interesting about it Friday morning. It was spraying out huge amounts of water and creating a nice little stream, ending in our neighbor’s driveway.
He knocked on the door Friday morning to tell us that when the rain this week stopped and his puddle didn’t dry up, he looked up the hill to our well and discovered this probably days-old problem. I flipped a breaker and we started calling.
It only cost $100 to repair, and we had it fixed before 12:30 p.m. on Friday, so we really can’t complain. (A brass pipe connected to the pressure switch was rusted.) And we hadn’t planned to go anywhere until Friday night, so we didn’t have to cancel any plans. And delaying my morning shower didn’t hurt anything…
But I don’t enjoy dealing with these complex little details that intrude into my simple life. The damage to the well stirred up lots of dirt in the lines, meaning the washing machines hoses needed cleaning this morning, the dishwasher had to be run through a couple of cycles to clean out the muddy water and even the water coming through our faucet-mounted filter is gritty. Like most things, it will pass.
I’d like a hassle-free life without wells, washers and wishful thinking, but I’m not sure how much simpler a real life can be.
We don’t have many useless items in our home, and nothing is extravagant. We have much less clutter than we did a year ago, although we still have plenty more to eliminate. We could manage without a dishwasher or a washing machine, but that would complicate our lives rather than simplify it. We have an increasingly simple but utterly realistic life.
At least, I hope that’s what it is.
We’re spending the day on cleaning projects. Now that the weather is more moderate, we’re catching up on vacuuming and general cleaning around the house. I’m doing my usual Saturday laundry and some Saturday dishes, too.
I’m also breaking in a purchase. I’ve spent almost no money at all on household items since the simplifying and decluttering project began, but I made one purchase this week: hair clippers so I can do my hair more easily than with the trimmer I had been using. The trimmer’s battery isn’t holding up to the strain, so I spent $17 for some electric clippers. I wasn’t sure these inexpensive ones would be sturdy enough for the job, but they work great.
I bought one other item for the house about two weeks ago, but I can’t remember now what it was. That’s a sign that I may not have needed it. [I finally remembered: It was a small Playmate cooler to carry tea and water with us when we’re out in the car. It’s not exactly for the house, but its about the only thing we have bought besides food and concert tickets in months.]
Tonight’s dinner is steaming away in the Crock-Pot, and I’m feeling particularly domestic today.
It’s a nice feeling for a day, but I don’t think I would want an entire life of domesticity.
Gip Plaster is a web content writer. Previously a journalist, online bookseller and even a corporate advertising guy, Gip now specialize in writing high-quality content for websites — his and other people’s. Learn more here.