My free Mary Hunt newsletter “Everyday Cheapskate” contains an article today on how to "spring clean" your own car and save the $150 or so that it would cost for professional detailing. Well I had a headache before I even finished the first paragraph. This paragon of cleanliness has you removing all the seats (easy with the new cars, yes?) but, get this, the front seats too, and you might have to refer to the owner’s manual since they might have electronic devices attached. Owner’s Manual? Electronics? Get real. I am laughing all the way to the recliner.

Use a Q tip, she says, to get into crevices and around knobs. Vacuum, scrub, scour. Is anyone out there contemplating a career change? $150? I would gladly pay this amount to avoid this effort. Anyway, with Ed, the champion smoker, to deal with, the car would quickly revert to its natural state: grungy.

Show me to the guys who charge. I’ll watch, though.

Two days ago Ed and I went to Home Depot to get plant food. The plants that remain undead need help, desperately. A year ago Ed built a cement border around our large palm tree in the front, and filled it with exotic plants. They have all died and, being a wonderful helpmeet, I got into old clothes, knelt in the dirt, and dug out all the dead stuff, including the roots.

Ed had bought a “ti” (a flowerless plant consisting of long red leaves) at Home Depot and he then planted it near the base of the tree. We also reclaimed some still alive remnants of one of the original plantings that I trimmed down to fresh greenery. A large part of the “berm” is empty and we are scouting around for more plants. I have begged my prince to please not choose exotics, that need a lot of attention. The level of care we are wont to give is sadly lacking. We should, I said, get some stuff that thumbs its nose at over attention, or, frankly, any at all. When our plants die, Ed says it’s because they are getting too much water. I strongly doubt that. I point to luxurious plants adorning the lawns of other houses. They’re not getting as much wind, he says. No, I snarl, those people WATER. Pardon me for screaming. I would water but Ed has so far not arranged to put together a hose for the front and when I carry a bucket I have to rest for an hour.

I will post some pix when I take them.

xx, Teal

Comments:

Oh, I certainly would pay for having the car detailed. I wish that our car dealership hadn't moved away... that's where we had it done. Now to find another. And, how lovely to be able to go out and work in the garden! We don't have one, living in a condo... the gardening is taken care of and they do terrible things like chopping down all the trees nearby. We were surrounded by trees and seven of them have been chopped down. When I complain, they always have a weak excuse!

comment by sunlight on Apr 20, 2008 4:53 AM ()

Slow room service...

reply by sunlight on Apr 21, 2008 11:30 PM ()

A girl after my own heart. But the "black thumbs" here have our work cut out for us. When we moved down here we were suddenly faced with outdoor work. Never had to do it before. My job is to pick up the leaves that fall in the entry way onto the stones that the former owner placed there. Ever tried to clean stones? I get to it now and then and I am not complaining. I refer to Ed, the original couch potato, as "the gentleman land owner." He once said he thought roughing it was slow room service at a 5-star hotel.

reply by tealstar on Apr 20, 2008 6:19 AM ()

Sounds good...we are searching for plants too that can live in our hot summers.

Good luck on the garden. They really are beautiful and nice to have around.