Men, who needs them

Saturday is suppose to be a day of rest isn't it. All l really wanted to do was watch the cricket. Mum had other ideas. Since Dad is in hospital she feels that this is a perfect time to be spring cleaning. It's very scary seeing a woman in her seventies swing from the top of a ladder. No men around to help. They are always missing when something needs to be done. I get Mum down from the ladder. She has been in the smallest room of her unit, yep the toilet where she has been trying to clean the lauver window. She is far too short and didn't have her glasses on. I know she is just trying to keep herself busy so she doesn't have to think about Dad locked up in the mad house but really all l want to do is watch the cricket.

Anyway, up the ladder l get. I hate heights. I hate ladders. Where is a bloody man when you need him? Off being a perfect father to his three girls.....hmmm l hate weekends.....never any Jamie/Tracey time. It never used to be a problem when l was working because l never had time to think about the lack of weekend Jamie/Tracey time. Up until three months ago l had worked at least one day of every weekend for five years. Now l just get depressed when l think about it. I've never been involved in his time with his girls. It's easier that way. He is their parent not me. I did learn some things from being married to Wayne. It sounds selfish but well at the end of the day they are his responsibility not mine. I don't know what annoys me more, the fact that l hate heights or the fact that he isn't here when l need him.

The little lauvers won't slide out so l can clean them properly. Not happy with just wiping them over l decided to use a bit of force to pull the bloody things out. Arrrrrr, my finger gets caught and then l break the glass trying to free my finger. The lauver snaps in two and one piece flies up and hits me in the bridge of my nose. Now there's blood. My mother fussing. Me up a ladder. Where is he when l need him? Not to be beaten l finish cleaning the lauvers that aren't broken. It's alot easier with one of them now missing. Blood running down along my nose. What a mess! Job is finally finished. Well l thought l was finished...

"I was wondering if you could put the slim line blind up in the bathroom while we've got the ladder inside ?" says the voice of a little old lady from the bottom of the ladder. Mind you, she has been waiting over 12 months for this job to be done. There is already a blind up in the bathroom but when l replaced my laundry blind with a very flash stainless steel blind Mum decided my old one could go up in her bathroom. Can't throw anything out. It might be useful one day. I couldn't really say no so l move the ladder into the bathroom to do this small task for her. Blood still running down my nose because it's 30 degrees in the shade and l'm up a ladder in the smallest rooms of the whole house with no air. Where is my man when l need him ?

You'd think that things could go smoothly so that l could go back to watching the cricket but it just wasn't to be. The curtain and old blind in the bathroom had to come down before l could put the new one up. That was the easy part. The brackets that held them up were another story. The previous owner of this house had decided to paint over these brackets and the screws that hold them up. Smart man.....didn't think about painting around the brackets afterall that would be intelligent. At least the blood has stopped. I get down from the ladder to go and get my cordless drill. Yep, a woman with tools. No man but tools. My good friend Cherille brought me a cordless drill the first Christmas l was in my new house. She thought it might be a handy thing for me to have. Truly, it is one of the best tools l own. Back to removing the brackets. Put the new brackets up and hang the blind. Doesn't look half bad and l didn't need a male to help me.

Just when l thought that l could go back to watching the cricket......she asks, "could you just wipe the light shade while you are up there ?" Hmmm.....who is doing this spring cleaning ? "I can't really reach the top of the medicine cabinet." Hmmm....My mind is thinking, if l don't do these things she will get back up this ladder and l won't be able to watch the cricket anyway cause l'll have to keep an eye on the silly old bitch. All jobs done. Back to my house to watch the cricket. Well almost, Kim arrives and obviously she is up for a chat. Nice but really l just want to watch the cricket. She would think l was very rude if l didn't listen to her so l resign myself to not watching anymore cricket today...afterall there is still two more days of cricket.