As part of my fall unemployment project, I'm trying to straighten out the house. We moved into a fixer-upper five years ago. We fixed some things, but most projects got put on hold. A tidy house was low priority.

Right now, I've got three guys from a window cleaning service marching through the house. Because we have old fashioned windows, it's a big job that involves ladders and the removal of storm windows and screens. I don't think the windows have been properly cleaned in this house for two decades. 

They're washing every window from attic to basement. To get ready for them, I had to clear paths through Lego bricks and make a mountain of kid books. No time to put the crap away. I had to go up to the attic and pile up the summer clothes, which hadn't been completely sorted and stored. Let's not talk about the stacks of games in the basement, which were also half sorted to get ready for donation to the Veterans. When the kids are in school, I go into the bubble in front of the computer and don't see the mess elsewhere.

The Last Samurai was a crappy movie, but I loved the domestic scenes of the pristine, simple homes. I need more zen around here.

Clean windows: