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smokingbootThe story goes like this; cleaner has always been erratic, to the extent that the cleaning company I got her through chased me up to apologise, saying it was 'far from ideal.' I could trust her to come one week in two. But OK, that was her only problem, not the end of the world.
Then the service goes bust, and the cleaner asks me if she can stay on with me. I say yes. We have a few weeks of non-eventful though never entirely reliable service. Then cleaner asks me for advance, I say no problem. Cleaner gets advance, doesn't turn up for next clean. After a week's radio silence, during which my calls and texts get no reply, she comes back to me and says her mother's gone into hospital and the exhaust has fallen off her car. I wonder if the exhaust fell off her phone, but OK. Then she comes and does the hours, but she asks if, rather than this stint being done for free, I pay her for this, and she comes and does the week after for free. I agree and across the money goes. She then doesn't turn up for the free stint. The week after is her holiday. Now she sends me a message saying that she has to give up cleaning and will resume her cleaning job at some later point.
Now, it's bad enough that I have a guest coming and want the place to be spick and span, worse that the lady has made no mention of either paying me back or coming to do the work she owes me.
I am tempted to get back and say 'fine, please replace the money you owe,' and give her my bank details. R suggests that I don't bother, points out that we easily spent that money on our last meal out, and I get it, I do, especially when I leave my yesterday mood behind. After all, we don't know she's lying('Oh yes we do' whispers my inner Maleficent) but I hate being taken for a mug, plus if I was in the same position, I would give back the money or do the work, not keep the one and find a way to avoid the other.
Still, OK, I listen to a better angel, let the money go and the principle too. After all, other things had sharply exasperated me at the time, and though I am brightening, my judgement's not at its most reliable or just. She can keep the cash and her time.
But that's us done. She assures me that she'll resume her job, and all I could think was, not here you won't. I'll sort out this week as best I can, find a replacement whenever and try to regain my sense of ordinary kindness/good humour, maybe muse upon what I did in a past life to give me all these hopelessly strange cleaners. Was I myself a hopelessly strange cleaner? A cleaning tzar perhaps, some below stairs tyrant forcing housemaids to polish silver tureens til they shone enough to reflect an aristo's moustache? A public bath attendant in ancient Rome with a predilection for handing out dirty towels?
Anyhoo, it is easier now, given more Fun, Friends, and Fringe on the way. We've booked a few shows and left time to wander round being bemused by street performers/who knows? We're seeing this
plus this...
https://vimeo.com/270138652
And this...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etYOKScBWq0
And this...
https://youtu.be/37r1CqMKLzM
And this...
Looking over these, my cleaner spleener disappears. Yes, I think she's been dishonest, or at least not entirely plum, but given what I'm throwing at the coming week, we are talking tiny amounts and unknown/misunderstood circumstances. We all need more generosity than we deserve.
As if bored with itself, my mood lifts and it's easier to be the person I know, someone who laughs a lot. There's no telling what will work and what won't, something's bound to be a stinker, something's bound to be delightful. But if you can't take a chance at the Fringe on its 75th birthday, when will you do it?
Then the service goes bust, and the cleaner asks me if she can stay on with me. I say yes. We have a few weeks of non-eventful though never entirely reliable service. Then cleaner asks me for advance, I say no problem. Cleaner gets advance, doesn't turn up for next clean. After a week's radio silence, during which my calls and texts get no reply, she comes back to me and says her mother's gone into hospital and the exhaust has fallen off her car. I wonder if the exhaust fell off her phone, but OK. Then she comes and does the hours, but she asks if, rather than this stint being done for free, I pay her for this, and she comes and does the week after for free. I agree and across the money goes. She then doesn't turn up for the free stint. The week after is her holiday. Now she sends me a message saying that she has to give up cleaning and will resume her cleaning job at some later point.
Now, it's bad enough that I have a guest coming and want the place to be spick and span, worse that the lady has made no mention of either paying me back or coming to do the work she owes me.
I am tempted to get back and say 'fine, please replace the money you owe,' and give her my bank details. R suggests that I don't bother, points out that we easily spent that money on our last meal out, and I get it, I do, especially when I leave my yesterday mood behind. After all, we don't know she's lying('Oh yes we do' whispers my inner Maleficent) but I hate being taken for a mug, plus if I was in the same position, I would give back the money or do the work, not keep the one and find a way to avoid the other.
Still, OK, I listen to a better angel, let the money go and the principle too. After all, other things had sharply exasperated me at the time, and though I am brightening, my judgement's not at its most reliable or just. She can keep the cash and her time.
But that's us done. She assures me that she'll resume her job, and all I could think was, not here you won't. I'll sort out this week as best I can, find a replacement whenever and try to regain my sense of ordinary kindness/good humour, maybe muse upon what I did in a past life to give me all these hopelessly strange cleaners. Was I myself a hopelessly strange cleaner? A cleaning tzar perhaps, some below stairs tyrant forcing housemaids to polish silver tureens til they shone enough to reflect an aristo's moustache? A public bath attendant in ancient Rome with a predilection for handing out dirty towels?
Anyhoo, it is easier now, given more Fun, Friends, and Fringe on the way. We've booked a few shows and left time to wander round being bemused by street performers/who knows? We're seeing this
plus this...
https://vimeo.com/270138652
And this...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etYOKScBWq0
And this...
https://youtu.be/37r1CqMKLzM
And this...
Looking over these, my cleaner spleener disappears. Yes, I think she's been dishonest, or at least not entirely plum, but given what I'm throwing at the coming week, we are talking tiny amounts and unknown/misunderstood circumstances. We all need more generosity than we deserve.
As if bored with itself, my mood lifts and it's easier to be the person I know, someone who laughs a lot. There's no telling what will work and what won't, something's bound to be a stinker, something's bound to be delightful. But if you can't take a chance at the Fringe on its 75th birthday, when will you do it?
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no subject
Date: 2022-08-18 05:17 am (UTC)I mean, it's complete chaos and a matter of luck as to what you find, but it feels like the kind of thing that would entertain you!