Reformed Chanchita

Many of you might not believe it unless you saw it, but I am a reformed slob. More so, I’m a borderline neat freak. Thanks to my roommate, I’m disgusted by clutter and dirty dishes. I was tolerant of his chanchito ways during the time he was employed, but now that he has no early morning wakeup calls and long hours at the office, I accept no excuses for the constant messes left in his wake. Strewn piles of dishes and newspapers, snack wrappers and empty beer/wine bottles have practically turned me into my sister Christine. I say practically because I at least wait until after eating my meals to clean up, but (unlike my old, living-alone self) I do clean up immediately. No dishes soaking in the sink for even an hour. No counter left unwiped. I used to make fun of Kathy for having a personal soundtrack of a swishing broom sound but now the noise applies to me, as well. It’s painful but I do try to hold out from cleaning up after him, and can usually last up to three or four days while crusty dishes accumulate in the sink. Elsa warned me not to give in because she’s desperately concerned about Rafael becoming accustomed to being a kept man, living with two tidy women. However, I am a cooker and there come times when I NEED the dirty dishes that sit in his pile so at times I break down. I was having people for Chinese dinner on Saturday and had three dishes to prepare, so I needed a lot of kitchen/sink space. Without thinking, I went ahead and cleared out the sink so the kitchen would be presentable when people showed, but since remembered a GIANT Rubbermaid container that Elsa sometimes uses to consolidate his disaster zones and hides in the laundry room. . . NOT E TO SELF, CAROL. Yes, next time, I will pull a Joan Willis/Elsa move and contain the wreckage. Elsa usually goes off on him about it, much like a bossy big sister, but she works long hours and isn’t around as much as I am. What I need is to learn some pestering phrases in Spanish so I can nag, nag, nag. But, when did nagging a man ever get me anywhere??