Green Works=Ant Works

I clean my bathroom, on average, once a week. Sometimes more frequently, sometimes less; it all evens out to the point where I have a relatively clean bathroom most of the time. I used to only use Comet, the powder in the can, for everything. I know you're not supposed to use it on stainless steel, but I used it on EVERYTHING. And when I was finished cleaning the bathroom you'd have to put your sunglasses on, it was so shiny and clean! However, I discovered Clorox Green Works some time ago... maybe around the time Anja was born... and switched to that. I think it was even cheaper than Comet, meaning I was contributing to both a happy environment and a happy pocketbook. And after some time of using it (I guess about a year or so) I realized I was also contributing to the happiness of those blasted ants that we can't get rid of. It was a real trend: every time I cleaned my bathroom, the ants would return. And if there was a drip on the counter top, they would come and drink it. I'm not even kidding. Then a few weeks ago, I did the absolutely STUPIDEST thing ever--I tossed an empty juice box in the bathroom trash. I have no idea what I was thinking. Obviously, the ants were THRILLED, and they have pretty much moved their camp into our bathroom since then. And the cleaning does not make them go away... in fact, it seems to just encourage them to prolong their stay.

Up to now in this post, I've mostly been referring to my bathroom counter and toilet. But let's discuss the inside of the toilet bowl, where I'd also been using Clorox Green Works toilet bowl cleaner. Ever since my move to green cleaning in my toilet bowl, the yellow ring (which had never even BEEN there before) has been growing darker by the day. Cleaning the toilet only made the ring fade to a nice yellow, but it's always there, and always darkening. Then I began to notice some sludge that was building up around the holes where the water comes into the toilet from the tank. Brown nastiness that was creeping down into the toilet bowl. Um, gross. So now I have a permanent ring in my toilet bowl, a completely unstoppable ant infestation, and a strange tenement-type grime becoming embarrassingly visible.

And that's when I realized for sure that the Clorox Green Works had to go. I'm sorry. I tried to be green. I love our planet as much as the next liberal hippie, but I also love Country Living Magazine and I'd like for my little house to look more like the pictures in that and less like the trashed-and-deserted rentals my parents used to own. If I had my dream of living in a cabin in the woods, the ring in the toilet wouldn't bother me. But in our current home, it just doesn't fit with my decor. And neither do the ants. (They would also not be invited into my cabin in the woods, by the way.) So now I'm back on Lysol and Comet, and I'm proud to say that I used the Lysol toilet bowl cleaner for the first time just a few minutes ago (thus prompting this post) and both the yellow water ring AND the swamp sludge are completely gone. We'll see how the ants feel about my chemical switch in due time.

Last night we went to the 5:00 mass at St. Lawrence and I had forgotten about how rockin' they are over on Meharry street! The funny thing is--I liked it. This might be very "Brother Sun, Sister Moon" of me, but sometimes I can really appreciate the charismatic approach to the Mass. Jazzy piano and guitars and all... it's different than what we're used to, but I don't think it's bad. And I was so happy this morning to hear from my friend Joannie this morning that just last night her mom was saying that she sometimes misses Glory & Praise music! ME TOO!! Sometimes I sing the songs just for fun and I would like Anja to know them. They're not all bad. Now maybe my opinion is that that style of "worship" should be reserved for retreats and socials and things rather than the Mass... I'm just not sure. But I don't think it should be completely frowned upon, because I don't think it's WRONG. Cheesy, yes. But in certain settings, I think it could be good for people. I mean, that's how some people roll. Some people even like Donovan... like me!

After mass we pretty much went straight over to Vienna for that art opening. The art openings are great because they serve little treats that are usually made of chocolate and they bring out carafes of coffee, which means free refills for us! Plus, we often meet some interesting people. Last night I got a special surprise--Martin bought me the squirrel picture!!!!!!!!! He says he bought it for me, but I think Anja might like it even more than I do, so I think we'll hang it in her room. I'm so excited!!

Tomorrow night Martin will be in charge of Anja for the evening and I will be devoting my entire being to the creation of Old Swampy. I bought most of the supplies for him today. Yikes!