If At First You Don’t Succeed

Haven’t gotten in as much walking as I’d like -- only 12.66 miles since February 1, due to errands and household projects.

I did manage to squeeze in a mile while getting that smog check, as I opted to explore the area rather than sit in the waiting room. While exploring, I spotted a Home Depot, so I popped in and crossed another of that day’s tasks off the list – wasps spray and Formula 409 for the kitchen linoleum floor.

We have a wasps situation.

I’ve occasionally seen the one or two or three resting on the overhang top of the stairs, but thing is … I didn’t know they were wasps. Just another outdoor creature that, so long as they were resting, not bothering me, I’d not bother them.

That is until the other day, when I was heading out to take granddaughter to run her errands.

I walked out the door, she ahead of me, turned to lock the door and heard her say, “Be careful grandma. There’s a wasp flying over your head.”

So, of course, I panicked.

Resting motionless on the overhang is one thing; flying over my head another and then there was that word “wasp”.

I keep a little jogger’s mace on the key chain (for dogs and perverts) and began to spray at the little bugger.

“Don’t make him angry, grandma”.

That only panicked me more. I emptied the can on that one wasp and, in the process, sent granddaughter flying down the stairs and darn near killed myself, because we were downwind, swallowing fumes. She, of course, being farther away, halfway down the stairs to begin with, didn’t get much of a mouthful. I, on the other hand, being mere inches from the wasp, began to gag and choke before the wasp flew off … seemingly unaffected by the pepper spray, which is what brought about adding Home Depot to my task list for wasp spray.

I had an opportunity to use that spray yesterday, as there were two on the porch when I carefully opened the door and looked out first before heading out to the market.

That’s about all I did outside yesterday – kill two wasps and grocery shopping, as the remainder of the day, into the evening, was devoted to trying Formula 409 and other methods found online for cleaning linoleum.

Getting that linoleum clean has been an ongoing saga.

It already has the look of marble, but sometimes I’d look at the floor and wasn’t sure if I was seeing design or dirt. After getting on my hands and knees, trying various scrubbing tools, various products over time, I’ve never been able to get the linoleum to look spic and span.

I even tried “Spic and Span”.

Did you know stores no longer sell that product, not even Home Depot or Lowes?

Wonder what that’s about.

I had to order from Amazon.

No matter, it didn’t work. Neither did Formula 409 or Dawn Dish Soap with baking soda or other wacky methods others suggested on the internet -- including scrubbing cleaning product into the linoleum with bounce fabric sheets or cleaning product with Kirkland wipes.

After all day trial and error, I was down to the wackiest suggestion of all -- Hydrogen Peroxide poured directly onto linoleum, sprinkle baking soda, scrub like your life depends on it. I gave it a shot and what do you know … the marbled linoleum finally began to look spic and span.

Can you see the difference in the bottom squares I’d cleaned using that method, and upper areas yet to be gotten to?

Finishing up was first on my list this morning. Once done with the linoleum, remainder of the day will be devoted to shampooing the carpet.

Times like this, I can see why it is so many seniors fail to keep their units as spotless as others. It's a lot of hard work.

Fortunately for me, I'm a bit of a neat freak and see all the hard work as not exactly fun, but necessary and exercise.

Tomorrow I should be back to actual fun things, like walking and needlepoint.