Barbara J. Hamby

sign-up for our email list

Let’s Hear it for Procrastination

For several weeks I’ve been beating myself up for procrastinating about getting an appointment to have my teeth cleaned and arranging to have our windows washed. Both of these tasks will be done eventually. But, with regard to the windows, my neighbors gave me the name and phone number of the service that does their windows months ago. Two sets of neighbors have had their windows done in the last week. I continue to procrastinate.

Today I learned how wise I am. Well, actually I learned yesterday morning when I discovered a note on our door from the management advising us that our walls would be pressure washed today. They apologized for the short notice, but suggested we should move personal items from the balcony, close all windows, etc.

When we returned from a meeting in late afternoon, we rushed around and moved as much patio furniture as possible inside and pushed the remainder up under the roof overhang. I didn?’ have the energy to move the potted plants and only hope that the one large tomato on the patio plant doesn’t get pushed off its perch. So far, it?’ the whole crop. There are ten or more tomatoes of varying sizes on the Early Girl plant in the front flower bed, so we can spare a few of those. It’s problematical how many will ripen anyway.

We awoke this morning to windows rattling and I hurriedly checked and found the back bedroom window open, so closed it. The rest were already closed. By noon, all our windows are streaked with water, not all of it clean. I sympathize with my more efficient neighbors and the manager, who is probably getting an earful of complaints. When it dries up a bit, I’ll go check on my tomato crop. And, in a few days, I may even call the window washers.

Along with the reduced responsibility that being a renter provides, comes a certain amount of reduced control. But, at my age, I don’t mind. Jockeying for control in earlier years created domestic friction. We don’t need that in our old age