Austin, TEXAS, January 19, 2006 — It's not that you don't consider other things you should do. It's just that, drilling down through the things you give priority, you just never reach these things.

I know I should do more to tidy up the house but I usually end up reading, rationalizing that I'm 'straightening up a stack of newspapers and magazines.'

When we've committed to entertain though (which we have a couple of weekends hence), that switches things around. Suddenly my desire to socialize and (in this case) support my causes, makes me do some things that have been pending for a while.

Hence I found myself trying to clear a path in the storage room so the caterer could work there. This was a success, I'd say. Everything I didn't toss I stowed under the stairs. I even identified a few things to give away or give to the thrift store. When FFP puts away his easel and art supplies, there will be plenty of room in there for staging if necessary.

We've decided to serve margaritas (maybe mango) 'up' (from martini glasses) and we decided to use our 'collection' of martini glasses. They are usually on display and they always seem to be in the third stage of collecting dust. So today I cleaned off all the glassware collection shelves and washed all the glasses and things and picked out some for serving.

Some housecleaning tasks get done because they need doing. But then there is always the 'company is coming' motivator. And this works best for me.

Unfortunately, having company leaves housecleaning and rearranging tasks in its wake, too. House chores are like exercise. Do it, do it again. Never ends.