How's married life?

Someone asked me that at work yesterday. I paused a moment before responding, "The apartment is such a MESS." I've been scrambling to catch up with homework since the honeymoon, and that combined with recent developments has made for an exceptionally busy domestic atmosphere. (I've started this blog post three times, for example, and had to come back to it later.)

I am so glad we stocked our freezer this month, letmetellyou! It was a fortuitous coincidence, because we have not had extra time to cook. Or clean. My sweetie got a NEW JOB. It's her second job, actually; full-time and during the week, in addition to her ongoing overnight shifts over the weekend. And that means she's no longer home during the day! Funny how housework doesn't just... happen.

We're still adjusting to being a two-paycheck household (her with two jobs but no commute to speak of; me with one job, a daily commute by public transit, and grad school; rehearsal for both of us). I've stepped up my contributions -- as I really should have already been doing -- in the areas of dishwashing, pet care, and food management. If our starting point had been move-in-level spotless, we'd be in okay shape. Maybe a little behind on the laundry.

However, we started in a state of "a wedding exploded in here". China and glassware, craft supplies, gifts... most of the boxes are still smack in the middle of the common area. And that's on top of the boxes from storage in the bedroom, and the boxes of books in the office while they wait to be sold on Amazon. And our sink sprung a leak (fixed that). We would've made headway last weekend, only both of us were laid low with a dreadful cold. (Me more than her; I get ill less frequently, but when I do...) Dear God. It's a MESS.

So we're operating in a state of domestic emergency, more or less. I threw together a basic weekly schedule that takes our respective commitments into account. Laundry one day, scrub bathroom the next, and so forth. Dishes ALWAYS. And then the big tasks: she swept, mopped, and scrubbed the wood floor -- well, the part not covered in boxes -- yesterday. I can walk barefoot again! (Yeah, it was that bad.)

My goal? Well, the boxes need to be sorted and put away or removed from the house. WE NEED SPACE. The big comfy chair must be unearthed and finally relocated to the office. The sofabed will need to be carted away, and at this point I don't care if we pay people to take it (Craigslisters have been flaky, per stereotype). But mostly I am REALLY looking forward to setting up the dining table we received from a childhood neighbor of my family.

When we've done that, it will feel like a proper married household. :)

In the meantime, I have stuffed shells in the oven, and my beloved will be home from work very soon (bearing Thanksgiving groceries) and we will sit down and have a nice at-home date night. And maybe more laundry.