×

A pre-visit Miss Giddy, Miss Grumpy

I finished dusting the top shelf of the 7-foot bookcase  in what capped off a whole-house Janice “power-cleaning” session.

This was in anticipation recently of what has become the annual October visit from family in North Carolina, returning for an Ohio visit in what they have decided is the best time to come — fall when the weather isn’t so steamy, and the Buckeye State is aglow with all things autumn.

I no sooner had finished the top-shelf cleaning than I realized something — who’s going to even notice this dust-free, super sparkly zone, much less appreciate the effort?

The answer?

Me — the same person who fluctuates between giddy and grumpy in the days leading up to the arrival of staying-with-us-for-a-spell company.

It’s an emotional boomerang, I can assure you.

Word of company wanting to come, planning to come, setting the date to come prompts a “goody-goody” response.

A yippeeee!!!

Picture a big smile and a little animated hand clap or two about how great it will be to see everyone and spend some time together.

Picture a person with a pen scampering to the kitchen wall calendar to circle with dramatic flair the stretch of days that they’ll be with us.

Oh, happy, happy day(s)!

Then comes the ultimate, inevitable grrrrrrr. A frown. An “oh-no!” scrunchy face.

Quick! Somebody summon the “Whaaammmm-bulance!”

Hello, Miss Grumpy. We’ve been expecting you.

Giddy. Grumpy. Giddy. Grumpy. It’s like that eye exam this-or-that experience.

Let’s face it. There’s a huge investment of work and energy to have stayover company come.

It means masterminding menus and doing major grocery shopping and cooking — on consecutive days, no less.

Oh, noooooo!

And figuring out sleeping arrangements and entertainment options, all the while being “flexible and fun” and Mr. and Mrs. Hospitality.

And being sleep-deprived since it translates into staying up way past my pumpkin time, which is about 8:30 p.m. EST.

And morphing about six days’ worth of newspaper work into two or three so I don’t feel guilty about taking time off.

And then guess what — everything pretty much goes without a hitch and before you know it, the company that just got here is all packed up again in their car, pulling out of the driveway, and everyone is waving good-bye.

I think even the house — built in the 1800s and not accustomed to the electrical outlet onslaught of umpteen cords plugged in to recharge everyone’s can’t-do-without phones and iPads and all — gave out a huge sigh of relief as did we at the prospect of a return to normalcy.

But as towels and sheets were washed,  rooms tidied and refrigerator leftovers assessed, I felt the post-visit emotional letdown that I always do.

The quiet is nice but so too was all that chaos.

I decided to take action and cheer myself up. I got out the ladder and climbed up to inspect the top shelf of the 7-foot bookcase, admiring the still-OK dust job done only days earlier.

Fine work, Janice, I told myself. Fine work.

(Kiaski, a resident of Richmond, is a staff columnist and features writer for the Herald-Star and The Weirton Daily Times and community editor for the Herald-Star. She can be contacted at jkiaski@heraldstaronline.com.)

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

COMMENTS

Starting at $4.73/week.

Subscribe Today