We're in gutter season right now. There was a monster rain storm around these parts a couple of weeks' back, so there were many more gutters needing emptying and loads of dirty windows needing cleaning than usual.
We shared cleaning duties last week down in tony Menlo Park with a house cleaner. Fortunately, the property was large enough and we were never in each other's way. Once I and my co-workers moved to the outside of the house I assumed we wouldn't be seeing the cleaner anymore that day. I was wrong as she was then out in the back of the main house picking up dog shit from the large lawn. I have never seen a cleaner also be responsible for cleaning up pet waste. I kind of felt badly for her and hoped that she's being fairly compensated. As she's Latina from abroad I sort of think that she isn't, but I really don't know and wouldn't ever ask.
Yesterday, we spent the day working in another upscale city called Los Altos just south of Menlo Park along the peninsula. We were to clean the windows inside and out of the house and pressure-wash the grounds and house front. The cleaning was in preparation for today's Thanksgiving festivities. Now that the days are shorter, we finished the job just as the sun was setting and did the packing up in the dark. We've been to this property before, but usually in summertime when pretty much no one is home save for maybe the lady of the house. Yesterday, everyone was home (and, therefore, underfoot). Spoiler alert: teens and young adults don't care that the window cleaners are in house and needing to do their job. Mom had to coax them out of their bedrooms so that we may clean their windows. -not such a big deal, really.
What was interesting was cleaning the kitchen and adjacent den windows during Thanksgiving prep. I had to move loose yams from around the kitchen sink in order to drape the area and wash the windows just above. The dining room table was already for today's feast. Everything looked lovely. We paid special attention to the sliding glass doors just beyond the table. Hopefully, the glass is sparkling in the sunshine today.
For the curious, here's a wee map showing the part of the peninsula in which we were working--
Any chance you could do West Yorkshire?
ReplyDeleteI'll be right over. ;)
DeleteWhile you're here, I'm only a couple of hundred miles from Tasker. I mean, you have come all that way...
DeleteIf you do Tom's first he can lend you a ladder so you don't need to strap one on top of the plane.
DeleteVery kind of you, Tasker. Tom, I'll ring you before coming 'round.
DeleteHope you had a great Thanksgiving!
ReplyDeleteThanks, my dear! x
DeleteI hadn't thought about it (naive me) but I expect that your and similar businesses) are in high demand at holiday seasons. I hope you were able to have a lovely day for yourselves after all that work.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't thought of things like this either prior to working the job. Thank you, E.C. Yesterday was well spent.
DeleteSounds like you're busy. It's amazing how people can be underfoot and just not think about how nice it is that they don't have to do that cleaning.
ReplyDeleteYes, I think so, too.
DeleteSounds like lots of work. Reading it made me tired. Maybe you need a note in your contract that says people have to leave the room you're working in. My windows need done, but it's so ugly outside it would be pointless I think.
ReplyDeleteSandy's Space
Ughh. I need to clean my gutters again. We got the nasty storm that you mentioned and made everything all yucky. Hope you are not working too hard and you had a nice Thanksgiving. Take care.
ReplyDelete