Burnout

I left the housesit last night before the owners returned. What a relief when they rang and told me they were home. They were grateful, but not grateful enough in my opinion! The cat would snore when it was sleeping on my bed as well. It is so good to be back home to my nice clean organised flat that doesn’t stink – except of new paint. The outside of the block was repainted recently.

I am reminded of the 1968 British TV series ‘Oh Brother’. The protagonist was a bumbling young novice monk, who also felt it was his duty to steer the older monks back onto the right path. Hence he would confiscate their whisky and cigars and with resignation would drink the whisky and smoke the cigars as penance, as he liked neither. Other people’s relaxing home environments have the same effect on me. The owner of the last housesit said she found the fish relaxing. All I could see was the prospect of cleaning the tanks and the possibility of things going horribly wrong. Some owners swear by their gardens – I just see an endless vista of struggle trying to keep the plants alive and neat through watering and weeding. As for pets – having to adhere to their feeding and walking timetables and their need for companionship (eg snoring, bed hogging cats wanting to sleep on your bed all night) is hard work. I can only ask – why?

So, you may ask – what is my own ideal home environment? A nice flat or apartment on an upper story in a small quiet block, with a view, lots of light, zero plants and zero pets and with a thick carpet underfoot. A place I can come home to, collapse on the couch, turn on the TV, watch DVDs and put a quick and easy dinner on to cook. A place I can work quietly for hours on end without interruptions. A place with nice walks in the park or beside the river when I get fed up with working. A place close to restaurants, and other activities and not too far from work. This actually pretty much describes my home base. Now I just need the money to be able to afford the rent on my own on an ongoing basis and have regular trips away to the coast.