The Value-Added of a Homemaker

Anyone who thinks that being a home-maker is not having a job needs to come take a tour of the Cochran abode this minute.  However, since we either won't be there to let you in or we'll be so tired we can't stand up to answer the door, I'll give you a little cyber-tour. (Putting our bad housekeeping skills out there on the internet. What could go wrong?)  We do not currently have a home maker between us, and this is what life looks like without one.

If you've started a business or had young kids or been pretty committed to your job or your out-of-the-house social life, these might look familiar.  If they don't and you are horrified, don't tell us when you come to have a craft beer with us!

For starters, everyone take a moment and be glad you are not Nate & Kelly (unless, of course, you ARE Nate and Kelly, and in that case we apologize, because you get to look out your window and see this every morning):

Yes, these are Christmas lights.  On March 6.  We were going to take them down. The wind a few weeks ago did some of the job for us.  But it's hard to be bothered by this when you only "see" it in the dark, so here they still sit.  Attractive, no?

Inside, to keep with the long-past holiday theme, there's this:

The lunar new year was Jan. 31.  To be fair, although it's predicted to hit 65° here today, tomorrow it is supposed to snow, so let's forgive us the snowman, shall we?

There's not a lot of excuse for this, however...

...from when we needed a certain USB cord a couple of weeks ago and rummaged for it.  It was, natch, not one of the myriad wires we already own.  Note how carefully we put everything away after searching.

Here's a lonely, lonely machine in our house.  It's been pulled out, at the ready, since Feb. 1.  Sadly, we haven't yet flipped the "on" switch.

[Lonely, neglected vacuum cleaner.]

And this:

[Dry cleaning pile.  Check.]

The last time we wore anything that needed to be dry-cleaned was 4 weeks ago this Saturday.  Does anyone know if there is a statute of limitations on when dry cleaning is even effective?

Perhaps the worst and most indicative, how about these two?

[Cruelty to plants.]

[Part II.]

Note that I had every intention of watering these poor things and even left the watering can within their sight.  Start-up biz owner = horrid plant guardian.

We have piles of things we've been meaning to return to people (e.g., Beverage Business Institute notebooks, Lauren, and a Beer Bettys' giveaway pint, Traci). Tatum stopped by when we weren't there and reported in concern to the Beer Bettys at large that we had 2 weeks' worth of mail piled up on the counter.  (That galvanized me to go through it, else there'd be a photo here documenting that mess, too.)  We have piles of laundry which even I was too aghast to post.

However, as we've long realized, life really is about balance, and it is true that as our house falls into further disarray, the Horse & Dragon seems to be coming together.  To wit:

[Jim Hogan of Knotty Ginger Woodworks, out in a freezing cold Colorado day while we admire from the warmth of the taproom.]

TimCo proving he actually does know how to clean by double-brooming it (don't try this at home -- we clearly don't).

And Chris Gugleman's work of art is up for the moment.

We're ironing out wrinkles in the brewing system (not in our button-downs) but have yet to actually brew.  (I know you're tired of hearing about not brewing.  We are ever-so-tired of reporting on it!)  Linsey's assessment:  "We're close!"  Hang in there.  And go dust something at home in honor of us.