What a Perfect Mess

What a Perfect Mess

I've decided that the cleanliness of my apartment is exemplified by the condition of the blinds in my living room. I have two windows on one wall, and, thus, two sets of blinds. When I moved in, the blinds were caked with a layer of dust and grime that initial efforts failed to clean. When my brother moved in, he was determined to fix that. He spent about two days working at one set. Then he gave up too. Now one set of blinds is (fairly) clean and white, while the other is still a grimy gray.

The two sets now serve as symbols similar to Yin and Yang, representing my general attitude about cleaning. The white represents the extremes of cleanliness, and the dingy gray represents the apathy towards dirt that "doesn't hurt." When balanced against each other, these attitudes achieve an equilibrium of general cleanliness about the place.

The obvious and necessary parts of my house are kept rather clean (the carpet, the dishes, most of the bathroom), while the less noticeable parts (the corners behind the furniture, the dust on the blinds, the extra cabinets that I don't have anything to put in) are left well enough alone. The other day I noticed a family of spiders hanging out in the corner of the livingroom. At first I was startled and thought I should do something. Then I realized, "hey, as long as they eat the other bugs, they can stay." Generally, my motto is, "if you don't get it dirty, you won't have to clean it." These are principles that all men should live by, in all areas of life, I think...

In other news, I've re-discovered the joys of sweat pants. Why have I been depriving myself for so long? Warm, soft, flexible -- every man's best friend! Especially well suited for long, cold days (and nights) spent at home while nursing an illness, or for lounging around on the weekends. However, don't allow your new friend too much license. If you aren't sweating, you probably shouldn't take him out in public.

Mad props to Aquafresh. 24 years cavity free and counting. I should get paid for this type of publicity.


Speak to me in a language I can hear
Humour me before I have to go
Deep in thought I forgive everyone
As the cluttered streets greet me once again
I know I can't be late, supper's waiting on the table
Tomorrow's just an excuse away
So I pull my collar up and face the cold, on my own

The earth laughs beneath my heavy feet
At the blasphemy in my old jangly walk
Steeple guide me to my heart and home
The sun is out and up and down again
I know I'll make it, love can last forever
Graceful swans of never topple to the earth
And you can make it last, forever
You can make it last, forever you...
- Billy Corgan