Housecleaning and Mattress Pads - Too Time Consuming

Yesterday's housecleaning didn't happen (although I did get the glass cleaner and my gloves upstairs and put into my dragon shelving, ready for next week). Of course I got the laundry done and the groceries purchased and put away, but I was also supposed to dust and vacuum. Instead of dusting - which is SERIOUSLY needed - I spent an extra 2-1/2 hours on laundering ONE item! The mattress pad. 

I have a fitted mattress pad similar to this one on our queen-sized
mattress. It cushions, but also helps keep the mattress itself,
fresher for longer. When it gets dirty, I simply remove it and
wash it. Unlike my sheets, however, I don't have a spare to
switch with it. I have to put it through the laundry cycle and
have it completely dry before returning it to the bed. 

DH spends a lot of time lounging in bed. Not that much time sleeping, but he prefers the bedroom TV and finds reclining in bed to be comfortable. Every few months I have to break down, pull off the fitted mattress pad, and fit it into the laundry schedule. It only takes an additional 45-50 minutes to wash the extra load in a hot, sanitize cycle, but the dryer is another thing entirely. The pad curls up in the dryer. The exterior gets dry and the interior stays wet. So I'm constantly pulling it out, rearranging it with the wet portions facing out, and starting the dryer once again. 

It took FOREVER, more than two hours, but finally I was able to put a clean mattress pad down, followed by this week's sheets. Job done - laundry. Job not done - dusting. I have two weeks until my friend Sharon arrives and still have to dust, set up her bed (which I'll do at the last minute), and vacuum. Seriously vacuum. A bit of spot steam cleaning on parts of the carpet wouldn't be a bad idea, either. Will I have enough time in two days off? Probably ... maybe ... possibly. 

The Blue Ribbon Bargain Book is always
something that Sharon and I appreciate. We get
our money back on our lunch at Giggles and
our onion rings at Danielson's. Everything
else is gravy! 

I did buy our State Fair tickets yesterday, along with our Blue Ribbon Bargain Books - a huge assortment of coupons and offers from the State Fair vendors. It's thicker than ever this year, with 150 distinct offers. All I care about is that "Danielson & Daughter's Onion Rings" is in there. The BEST onion rings, hands down. I dream of them all year. 

I don't know what they do to the batter at Danielson's &
Daughter's Onion Rings, but whatever they do, it's
the BEST onion ring I've ever had. This photo, from
my 2016 State Fair experience, demonstrates that
I'm there, eating them, EVERY year without fail. 

I also, finally, had a chance to catch up over the phone with my friend Aearwen. She posts on her own, but in case you hadn't seen her latest post, her husband's health is failing and things aren't looking good. Kind thoughts for a good friend to many of us would be appreciated, I'm sure. 

On that note, I'm wrapping this up and getting out to the pool. It's already hot and humid, so if it's not super crowded, I'll probably take advantage and swim in the outdoor pool today. I love that I have a choice of pools for a few weeks more. The outdoor pool will shut down a week after Labor Day and we'll all be crammed back into the smaller, indoor pool until next year's Memorial Day. Oook! Summer is winding down! Enjoy your Thursday!