Like Mother, Like Daughter

Friday night a couple of my guy friends offered to help me put in our window a/c units around the house. Nice, huh? Late Saturday night I couldn't take it, so I went down to the basement and carried up my small one for my room. It was heavy, but I was sweaty and who can sleep like that? Sunday morning one of the guys was talking to me and I mentioned having put it in and he just looked at me and said, "You brought it up and put it in yourself?" Yes, sir! (Meghann did assist in the pushing it through the window) :)

This morning I headed to Home Depot before work to pick out some window a/c units for the office. We don't have a/c and yesterday we nearly melted it was so hot in the office. I knew it would require some strength, but the fact that I waited and didn't order them weeks ago so a cute delivery guy could bring them directly to me left me with few options.

I bought three a/c units. Yes, 3. They were are all fairly small units - two 5,000BTU units for $99(!) and one 6500BTU unit for $139... oh and two small fans, too. As I stood there trying to decide on units a middle aged woman approached and asked if I wanted one of the 6500BTU units. I said, yeah I thought I should get one - so she picked one up and put it in my cart! Then I said I needed two of the smaller units, too, so she followed me over and loaded those up as well. Nice! Well, her helpfulness ended there- she didn't follow me to the car, unfortunately. So, I stood there thinking, "either you can ask a stranger to help you or you can just haul them in there yourself." I loaded the car.

When I approached the office I called up and nobody was in yet (it was 7:30am, after all). I pulled my car up in front of the building (which is on a major road marked with numerous "no parking" signs) and again thought, "either you can ask a stranger or you can just haul them in there yourself." I carried the two smaller units up the stairs myself (we're on the second floor). I thought my legs were going to give out - not only were they awkward boxes to hug, they were stinkin' heavy going up a flight of stairs! I was motivated, however, by the promise of my arms not sticking to my desk today... so onward, soldier! I left the third unit in the car until my coworker, Raye, got in.

I sat down at my desk with this pathetic fan blowing warm air on me and my muscles shaking and just sat and sat and sat. Eventually Carla got there and we installed one of the units into my work area and the cool air began circulating! Hooray!

I left work around 3pm because tonight I'm hosting a women's event where I'll teach them how to give themselves the perfect summer pedicure (painting their toenails, for my male readers). I'm excited about it, but knew that the house was a disaster. When I say disaster, I mean embarrassingly dirty. Dishes piled up, dirty floors, stacks of papers. We also (Meghann and I) brought up our monstrous a/c unit from the basement to put in the living room so the women wouldn't have a heat stroke tonight. We left it on the coffee table, so I knew that also needed to be installed.

I came home and cleaned the entire apartment. Vacuumed, mopped all the floors, scrubbed the bathroom, unloaded and loaded the dishwasher, and yes, I installed the monster a/c unit... alone. I know what you're thinking... I'm insane. That may be the case, but what I can tell you without question, what I actually am... is my Mother. I am SO my Mother.

She always would ask for help or accept it, but if she had to wait on it she would just do whatever it was on her own. It drove me crazy! I was always coming home to a rearranged living room and would bark at her for not waiting until she had help. This was seriously a constant point of tension for us.
Now, here I am - 29 years old - I loaded and moved five a/c units in a matter of three days. (Did I mention I have a bad back?) What is wrong with me?! Now I'm sitting here loaded up on Advil and totally freaked out that come tomorrow I won't be able to walk around. My muscles hurt already.. eek!

Here's the really sick part - my bedroom is nice and chilly at night, the office is cooler and more comfortable, the house is spotless, and the living room is not sweltering... and I am taking great satisfaction in having made all that happen even though I've risked my health to do it.

Like Mother, Like Daughter.
This is scary scary stuff.