What do you do when you come home from work after a long day, and there is a chore that you really should do but you're soooo tired and you think "I just can't face it....."?

Yes—watering the lawn or, as I’ve been wanting to do for months, cleaning out my garage. Ugh!

Anything and everything. If I stop moving when I get home. It is all over.

If it’s a “nobody dies” chore I probably won’t do it. I’ll sit and watch the TV until I have enough energy to turn it on. Then I’ll watch a program on TV.

Take a cool shower and be sure to wet your head. You need to cool your body down from the heat. Have a light dinner that is cool and refreshing. Sandwich, salad and a really acidy fruit like pineapple and some soda. All these things will help waken your senses. And put on some loud music you can sing along with as you paint. Especially see if you have some music that brings back memories of energy and youth.
Do as much as you can and then go to bed early. You may need some extra zzz’s to get though tomorrow. Also take some multi-vitamins till this is over. I’ve been where you are now and one of the first things to get sacrificed on a busy schedule is proper nutrients.
I hope this helps.

“Tomorrow is another day,” as Scarlett O’Hara used to say.

It’s not that important in the grand scheme of your life, just do it little by little or wait until you have the motivation to really knock it out in one day. You will stress yourself out unnecessarily if you push yourself to do something that is not dire.

Get it done soon as. Out the way then, the sooner the better.

Just relax. You’ve earned it and who’s keeping score?

You guys…as I read I kept thinking “That’s the best answer!!” Then I’d read the next post, “No, THAT’S the best answer!” and so on. I stopped at @Aster because hers/his was the last and one and have to give him/her my vote because it makes me feel proud of being lazy!!

@JilltheTooth You’d watch TV until you got the energy to turn it on! ROFL!!! (Thank goodness for remotes, hey!)

Yes, but one has to reach for the remote…sigh.
Seriously, I’ve been there and done that, if you’re too tired the job will take twice as long and be done half as well. Get some rest, it’ll still be there tomorrow! ;-)

Yes…plus it looks like we have a line on some .79 carpeting. So, we’ll be busting a move finished the kitchen linoleum (although we have the harder part done) and laying carpet this weekend. I’m seriously looking forward to the simplicity of simply cleaning up after all that! Cleaning up is something you can do a little at a time. Walk by a glass, grab it, put it in the sink and go watch more TV.

I think back to my frantic “must-do-or-the-world-will-end” lists of 10 years ago. I remember none of the chores…neither the ones that got done nor the ones that didn’t.

Do you have a contractual obligation to paint the utility room? Will your house decrease in value if that room isn’t painted?

@gailcalled You know that the appearance of a fresh house can really up the value in a person’s opinion. No, don’t HAVE to paint, but heck. The room is empty, no washer, no dryer, no fridge, no tool chest. Empty. It wouldn’t take an hour to paint it. So it’s not that big of a deal, but it is when you’re so beat….I’m just feeling guilty because I’m not doing something to get ready right now.

the pile of dishes in the sinks. everything else I will get up the mojo to do

But you are! You’re avoiding sullying the property with vomit smells caused by exhaustion and over straining yourself! There. All better now.

@JilltheTooth NO! FINE. Hold for pictures of what I’m looking at!!

Don’t you have your housekeeper on speed dial? Why not?

That’s a bad habit to get into. You have to own your day. That means accomplishing everything that has to be done that day. Every time you put that off, you condition yourself into believing that it is OK. After a while, you run the risk of being an underachiever. Get the job done. Then take your well deserved break.

@josie Just wait! This isn’t your every-day, average, “OMG The dishes are dirty!” kind of thing! I’m not anal! Downloading pics now….

While we’re waiting, let me tell the whole story. Rick and I have talked about moving to The Country since we got together in 2002. I was thinking, “Yeah. Nice dream.” And we went out cruising on Saturdays, either garage saleing, auction, and sometimes just cruising country road. Sometimes we’d go past a place for sale and Rick would say, “That would be a cool place to live.”
Me, I’d say, “Land is nice, but the house sucks! House is Important!”
Two weeks ago (My gosh…has it only been two weeks??) while country cruising we found out dream home on all counts. And, to my amazement, it was within our financial reach. We submitted an offer, after a little back and forth, we came to an agreement…And, it’s been….hell on wheels ever since. We have to get this house on the market ASAP, like, last week, but there were some things that HAD to be done. Mainly the kitchen, because that’s the first thing you see when you walk in, and for a variety of reasons the vinyl was all torn up in different places. Also, the carpet was the same carpet at it was in 99 when I moved in….and it was freaking WHITE. IIt’s been through teenagers, dogs, mud….it was awful. Long, long story. Lotta, lotta work. Anyway, that’s the back ground to my obsession. Hopefully, if all goes well, in a couple of months I’ll be passing out pics of our new house like I’d pass out pics of my kids!

the kitchen. laundry, etc…..

OK. Show time. My living room

My bathroom

Did you say something about Dishes Piled In The Sink @woodcutter??? Try Unknown Cats and Stuff Piled In The Sink.

Washer and drying on the “back deck”: http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc207/Dutchcat1/Misc/P8100063.jpg. What a plan!! Kids are muddy, they just strip down, throw the stuff in the washer and they don’t track anything in the house! Then, when it’s time to dry, you just go dig up your 220 extension cord…O. Wait. They don’t make 220 extension cords. No wonder I haven’t had any clean clothes for 10 years.

Redneck cookout

No,there IS no door in this doorway. It’s from another part of the house.

Yes, carb cleaner will work for stripping up the stuck-on felt after you tear up the old vinyl, but we learned that rubbing alcohol works even better and doesn’t make you retarded.

Have you looked under your stove lately???? (Talk about shock!)

And MY STAIRS!!!! My stairs are TOTALLY screwed up. They’re all sideways and shit!!

@gailcalled… Here is the laundry room in question. You can see it would really be a snap, if I had any energy. (Like, the amount of energy it took to take all these pics, download them to my pics, preview them, download to photobucket, then put together this picture story!)

And other misc
crap.

Can you guys even get an inkling of what my house is supposed to look like??? I just want to check into a hotel, and have Someone Else take care of it ALL.

@YARNLADY. Yes, I have you on speed dial, but you refuse to answer the phone for some reason. :)

I don’t do it. Period.

I’ll feel a bit guilty and then go on and make up for it later. I’m used to working 10+ hr days so when I feel like being lazy then it’s a long time in coming and not that big a deal.

@Simone_De_Beauvoir Depends on what’s on the line and how bad you want something.

@Dutchess_III : You have made your point. Teach that lovely dog how to paint immediately.

I can’t decide whether to feel bad cuz it’s obviously WAY. OUT. OF. CONTROL. or to thank you for giving me a belly laugh with your tour! The dogs seem completely unfazed. Take heart, It will happen!

More than one dog? Let the other one do the dishes and laundry.

I can’t wait to see the new place!

@JilltheTooth Thanks for laughing!!! That’s what I was hoping for!! (I feel so much more relaxed right now than I have in two weeks…thanks guys!)

@gailcalled I can’t even get them to clean up their own freaking hairballs and stuff, much less the laundry and the dishes.

Also, dog can’t paint because the carb cleaner made her bain dramaged. Sea.

I’d lend you mine but he’s a useless lunatic. Good thing he’s so cute.

Well, one of my dogs is a useless lunatic (Dutchess is her name) but the other is actually really smart. But…. she cut off her opposable thumbs in a….well, she was mowing the lawn and it was a tragic accident. Very sad. On top of that she started huffing carb cleaner last week so….she isn’t much use either, any more.

She just got tired of being the overachiever…I get that.

@JilltheTooth Thanks for the laughs! I’m signing off now….gotta get up early for another long day at work, Staff Meetings and all that….. Night!

OMG, I read this question and wanted to weigh in…....but after reading down the list I’m too tired to do anything!!!!!!!!!!

I tell the pool boy to do it ;)

I tackle all chores the minute I get in the door (and some nights I stroll in at 10PM). If I sit down, I’m all done and nothing will get accomlished.

My wife is the exact opposite. Her first priority after a busy day is to relax. She’ll hit the couch and figure she’ll tackle the chores on the weekend.

Me – I can’t sleep if the house isn’t picked up.

Why is it that we make all these fixes when we won’t get any benefit out of them and the new owners will rip them all out and start over anyway?

@wundayatta Huh? I don’t see where your comment is related.

@wundayatta That’s a good question. I’ve watched a couple of shows on people trying to sell their house, and it isn’t moving as quickly as they wish. Simple things, like less clutter, decor-enhancing items, and a fresh coat of paint does the trick.

According to my real estate agent, there are some improvements that can and probably should be done to make the house more sell-able and others that aren’t worth it. For example, the Formica counter-tops could be changed out for a higher grade surface, but it’s something that a new owner can do and put something in that is of their own taste. He says that it would be better to be willing to knock off $ from the asking price for “home improvements.”

@Dutchess_III By the time you read this, I hope you have gotten a good night’s sleep and aren’t washing out paint brushes. The body needs an occasional physical and mental break.

Several friends, family members, and even my SO is an “Achiever.” I really admire the quality. They get things done. Yet, like any strength, it can be overused and become a weakness. One friend confessed to not getting home until after dark and not being to go to bed until she mowed the lawn because it was on her “to do” list.

Painting takes a lot of prep and clean-up time. It’s probably better to tackle something else and save the paint for the following day. It would go much more quickly if there were two of you there to take on the project.

@Dutchess_III – After seeing your pictures I am lost for words.

Ok… Found them. :-)

That is not a “chore that you really should do” situation. Whatever “construction” you need to accomplish in your home, you use it to hide the fact that you keep a filthy home. There is no excuse for the kitchen, and your laundry room seems the cleanest room in the house. Only room with nothing in it.

I think sharing those pictures were your cry for help and a need to be pulled out on the carpet. If you can find it.
Your home is a pigsty. You need to shovel everything out of the house. Scrub it down, straighten it up. Re organize, THEN decide what project needs your attention.

I am sorry to sound so harsh, but what you have going on has nothing to do with a little laziness after a hard days work.

@YARNLADY My wife and I were just discussing our kitchen—I really want to redo it. Supposedly kitchens are one improvement that really adds value to a house. I.e., you can sell the house for more than the improvement cost. My wife said she didn’t want to do the kitchen now and maybe not until the kids are out of college. I said we’ll end up doing it just before we sell the house and we won’t get any benefit out of it. She said we shouldn’t do it then because the new owners will move in, rip it out, and do something to their taste.

The moral of the story is that you should do improvements for your own taste and lifestyle, not so much for the resale value. Quick and dirty stuff to make the house look presentable are fine—paint, cleaning up, making things neat. But changing the kitchen is really pretty much a waste since the prospective buyer will probably think it’s no good, anyway.

@wundayatta:Two years ago I replaced my countertops, cabinets and put an apple green tile backsplash in. That required no structural work; the floor was already wide-board southern pine. and I put a small oriental rug at sink. It was money well-spent and will do me until I am carried out, feet first.

I love working in the gussied up space. And my appliances are white; I replace them as needed. One white appliance looks very much like another.

And I get the feeling that when I finally sell this place, the new owners will tear it down and rebuilt on the footprint. So, every ten years, I have one coat of Navajo white applied all over.
And I get rid of useless and dusty stuff on a regular basis.

@gailcalled That sounds very sensible.

In my kitchen, the drawers are constantly falling off their paths. The cabinet doors won’t stay shut. The wood counters are stained with water all over the place. The oven falls out of the wall. Every counter top is covered—with appliances, food storage, computers, etc. There is an old cheapo warped cherrywood hutch that serves as a pantry. There are bags of bags hanging here, toys all over the place there, recycling boxes, crystal growing kits…. It’s just a mess. Oh, and there are holes in the ceiling, and the ceiling is falling down. Not to mention there is no toilet on the first floor (and we are getting older).

Wow! When I write it all down, it sounds even worse than I thought. Of course, redoing a kitchen is very disruptive. No way to cook or clean. Not to mention, expensive.

On the other hand, in four years, our oldest will be entering college.

@ChazMaz…I had to read that three times before I decided you were YANKING MY CHAIN!! Many, you almost made me cry! Hey…the carpet is outside on the washing machine, working it’s way to the trash, so I can haul a little bit it so you can call me on it….shitbird!

@YARNLADY @wundayatta was spot on. That’s the reason I’m so overwhelmed. We’re trying to put in new floors so we can get the house sold ASAP. We’ve created a monster. But I think we can get it down over the weekend.

@wundayatta It’s all a psychological ploy, you know. You have a nice kitchen with torn up linoleum v a nice kitchen with brand new linoleum, the value of the “new” kitchen goes up in the buyer’s mind, much higher than the actual cost of putting in the vinyl.

One thing that REALLY has me upset is that I’m notorious for losing my lighters. It was never a big deal until now, because there was one lighter I could always and forever count on and never lose…but it’s now deactivated and sitting on the back deck. :(

I have a couple dozen cheap ones sitting around. I’ll send them right off!

@JilltheTooth :) Twill do no good!

Oh, right. Just looked at that. Good point. Sometimes that’s the only one I can find, too! :-)

@JilltheTooth When we had the shop, we also had a hand held blow torch. I never lost THAT lighter either!

Obviously you are a person of grand gestures. I like that!

Well, like you said, if it’s not a life or death matter or letting anyone down, i’d leave it for the next day! Why do you think there are so many unwashed dishes in my kitchen?!? (i know, i’m terrible, but am hoping to get a dishwashes soon, yay!!!)

So…..i’ve been left behind in your life story…since when are you selling your house??!!

Long ago and far away. Had to do bunches of stuff to both the Seattle house and the Colorado house to get them ready. Painting, repairs, carpet replacement, stuff like that. Mostly I did stuff myself, and it was a screaming bore. I didn’t have the time restraints you did, but in Seattle I was a single parent with a young child (she was 5), and in Colorado, still a single parent, homeschooling a third grader and I found out later I had cancer at the time. I have since hung up my superGirl cape and I loll around in my messy house like a slug, and my sink is full of dirty dishes as we speak. Much more satisfying, I can tell you!

@NaturallyMe Humph. I’m not telling you!!!

@Dutchess_III I’m gonna haunt you until you do!!!

It’s such a long story! Send me an email at work and I’ll tell you on Monday (I got a new computer and a bunch of my addresses dropped out….have you heard from Grog?)

(Will do! Not via email, i see him around on Minekey).

We’re done, guys. All the heavy furniture is back where it’s supposed to be. This weekend will be spent getting the house back together in detail…..then I’ll post pictures JUST FOR STINKY CHAZ MAZ!!!

I wanna see picture of the new house!!

Well we gotta git it first @NaturallyMe! If nothing else, I pretty much have new house where I live now, anyways. But, if we get the house you can freaking bet I’ll be posting pics like I would if I just had a baby!

@Dutchess_III well hurry up and get the new house already! Some of us are getting impatient here… :)

@Dutchess_III your honesty is truly wonderful. Love it.