As the runway gets shorter....

...sh-t happens, as the great philosopher Keith Richards so wisely says.

"Do you work for TJ?" I asked a woman, as she was putting a vacuum and other cleaning supplies into the trunk of her car at our neighbour's a few years ago.  Yes, she told me.  

Divine intervention had struck again!  She was his cleaner and I had just finished a demented rant while vacuuming, cleaning, doing laundry and cursing a blue streak about these never-ending hair shirts we had to wear.  We had just moved to Calgary (grandchildren) and I had not found a house cleaner -- something I had always had when working.  Me, before The Hand of God intervened:

Note:  A word about why my cohort still ended up schlepping a vacuum or pushing a mop.  We were raised by mothers who didn't work outside the home.  Problem was we married men whose cohort was also raised by a mother at home.  Result?  Our husbands were used to seeing their mothers do all the domestic chores and expected their wives to be the same -- regardless of the fact that our "Women's Lib" cohort was also out working and bringing home serious bacon.  

Wrong.  That's why I have always hired "wives".  To prevent divorce because here's a bulletin:  Resentments are always spelt "Divorce". 

Anyway, back to how I met my current "wife", Maritess, who has been working for us for six years.  Initially, she came every two weeks just to clean, but as the runway shifted, I began to realize I needed more wife in my life.  Now she comes every week and does:

• The cleaning
• The laundry
• The garbage, and
• The grocery shopping

This Spring, I also plan to have her deal with the garden and the garage; she's already tackled the basement.  Oh, and did I also mention she has five kids of her own?  I only raised four.  She is a superwoman and instead of curse-cleaning, like I did, she actually sings and smiles as she works!

She is Filipino and in that culture they know how to clean.  They also look after their own parents and even though her Mother lives in the Philippines, Maritess went back to help her when her father died.  When she came back -- much to my great relief -- she sent her husband over to deal with family matters.

In our culture, we warehouse the elderly.  I remember my Mother sitting me down and saying, "Nancy, I want you to promise that when I get infirm, you won't have me live with you."  Whew, was my selfish reaction.  But that's our culture and I plan to operate the same way when we get beyond the pale.  

Anyway, a big shout out to my wonderful wife!  Maritess happily at work:   

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Just a word about the great Bill Burr.  Have been binge-watching him and if you want to know how my brain really works, listen to Bill.  His wife is Black, so he gets a lot of hall passes on that file.  Love the guy!