The Week's Just Not The Same Without Saturday

One of the things that can really spoil a week for me is when I lose my Saturday. Not like in the Lost Weekend, but when, after a full week of drudgery, responsibility, commuting, paying bills, taking out garbage, cleaning, cooking, blah, blah, blah, my beloved Saturday is snatched from me.

How, you ask, can a person lose a day?

Well, let me tell you how. I arose yesterday at 6:30 because my Brother was coming for the weekend. We don't pick him up until 9:30 or so, but I had a lot to do. First, I had to gather the garbage, including a variety of antique foods that Mother had been storing in the fridge. I took the slipcovers off and made a trip to the laundromat to wash them, along with bedding so I could change his bed. Then I returned home, vacumed between the cushions, and re-dressed the sofas. By that time it was 9:15. I was pretty sweaty so I changed clothes and headed off to pick up my brother. He wasn't ready to go (I'd been told they were expecting me at the usual time, but apparently not SO!). So we got home at 10:15 instead of 9:45. Then I did the food shopping because we always needs goodies as well as ingredients for dinner.
So I got back at 11:00.

Mom wanted to take him for a special treat to a store that sells nothing but sporting caps. While they were gone I did a load of dishes.

At noon I made sandwiches for him and myself. After that I did a load of laundry and hung it out and a second load of dishes.

At four I fed the dogs and started preparing our dinner (spaghetti, sauce from scratch and hot sausages). That took an hour. At 6:30 I made the salads, put on the pasta and missed Jeopardy while ladling out the dinners, cutting bread and serving.

In between these various chores, while I was trying to read, relax, and enjoy a brief respite from my day's chores, the neighbors had visitors, composed of children who excel in thievery, destruction and making noise.

At 8:15, exhausted and frustrated, I took a hot bath (my back injury from my vacation - natch - was flaring up, too). At 9:15 I got out, Mom went to bed and I had to straighten the room and make the bed for Jim. At 10:00 he wanted to go to bed so I tucked him in, put away all the food, cleared plates and dishes and piled up the sink and THEN settled down to finally relax.

Unfortunately I was so tired I hit the pillow at 10:30 pm.

THAT is how you lose your Saturday.

P.S. - Did I mention that it is my birthday weekend? And the reason for my brother's special visit?

P.P.S - OK, so I'm whining. But I think I'm entitled, in my own not-so-humble opinion. It is now Sunday and on tap - I've done a load of dishes and have another to go, have to do the food shopping, pick up some lime for my Mother to take to my brother's little bucket garden, IF the sun deigns to come up (damn those meteorologists!) do a couple more loads of laundry and hang out the stuff that never dried yesterday because it started to rain. I've got to do a few chores in the house, and if it dries up outside lots of chores.

So much for my weekend of R&R. And tomorrow? Can you say: Once more unto the breach dear friends!

Sheesh.