10/14/24

    There’s something comforting about cleaning an entire house especially when done with a group of friends, each upholding their own role—wiping, scrubbing, sweeping or vacuuming. Moving in tandem. 

    After rising from our slumber on our last day at the lake we made coffee with the remaining bit of grounds–perfectly used up. H answered a few calls, I responded to a few emails and then we, along with B and L, began cleaning the house early despite our train not arriving till the late afternoon. Starting early to finish early. We needed the time to revel in the remaining moments of the lake house season. We cleaned to the tune of Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of The Moon, getting lost in our tasks.

    Once the last of my cleaning was finished I ran outside, down to the dock, and took a long deep breath. I watched as the vaporous clouds weaved through the autumn trees and wafted above the water. Wind pushed around a misting of rain. Satisfied, I walked back up to the house through the wet grass and dripping trees soaking the pair of suede Birkenstocks I decided to leave behind. I put on a sweater pulled from the closet and sat at the dining table as everyone gathered themselves.

    I’ve become obsessed with my cuticles recently. Fixating on their rough appearance, constantly remarking on how badly they looked but I had deigned to go to a salon. M recently recommended something to fix them up which I had put off buying until remembering while on our customary voyage to the town Walmart days before. As we waited on B and L to finish with Pine-Soling the floors, I gave H and myself an amateur manicure. Another task to get lost in.

    We all took turns showering before treating ourselves to lunch at a diner in town, so as to not disrupt our freshly cleaned abode. Driving along, I thought about how comforting it was to be in the backseat of a car driven by a friend. When the car is full of only people you know. It’s much different than the feeling of cramming five friends into a taxi or Uber. There’s heart in it. The heat is warm. The silence is lighthearted. L remarked on how dreary the day was. H and B agreed but I didn't. The atmosphere had charmed me. The leaves had significantly changed colors since we arrived Friday. The clouds and rain didn't bother me at all. I thought about how I hated AC and loved heaters. I missed the smell of the old heating in my childhood home and the soft sound of the air coming through the 1920’s cast-iron vents. Our cats and dogs always knew to lie by them in the winter and often I’d lie by them too, feet right up against the vents. My toes always got cold.

    Back at the house we had a few hours to kill before we needed to leave. We all sat in a simply Arcadian way reading and sipping some tea to warm ourselves since by then we shut off the electricity. The rain was falling onto the skylights in a soft pitter-patter. I admired my newly refined cuticles.

    When the time came we packed up the car, locked up the house, and set off. Till next time.

Playlist

Autumn Leaves - Eugen Cicero

Breathe (In the Air) - Pink Floyd

Après un rêve Op. 7, No. 1 - Gabriel Fauré

Knife - Grizzly Bear

The First Train - Xinlisupreme

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