(future) Mother-in-laws are tough

Ellen. Fabian's mom. My future mother-in-law. The person who pays the rent. Yes, for those of you who didn't know my boyfriend and I live with his mom. Right now, it just is better for us financially, and it helps her out too. Ellen owns her own business. She is the owner of a medical testing company. She has about 25 employees, I think and the company is located at the University here in Saarbruecken. The business isn't doing wonderfully but they aren't dying yet. Because she is the boss, she does a lot of traveling all over the place for various meetings. That means for the past few weeks (and the upcoming few weeks) she spends about a week away for business, is back for a day or a night and then is gone again. This, I find very nice.

Last night, she got home in the late evening, about nine. Now, Fabian and I admit that we aren't the best housekeepers. We don't vacuum everyday and our room is quite a mess. However, we always clean up after ourselves, do the dishes, do our own laundry and do everything she asks of us. This means that while the apartment needs desperately to be vacuumed, it doesn't look bad. There isn't trash on the floor, there aren't piles of clothes, there aren't more than three dirty dishes on the counter.... the apartment looks quite nice, actually. However, this morning, when we got up, we found money for groceries and a note on the table. The money was nice... even though just for the record most of the groceries we actually buy by ourselves. However, on the note there was a whole list of things we have to do. First, clean the apartment. Here is what I don't understand. The apartment, while not perfect, isn't dirty. She constantly tells us to clean the apartment... she even called us this morning to remind us (as if a note isn't enough) that we need to clean the apartment, that she's spent a lot of money making it look nice, and that we shouldn't have to look like homeless people.

Homeless people? I mean, I realize we need to vacuum.. but homeless people? Does she really know how homeless people live? Does she realize that homeless people, for starters, don't have a home... and that on a scale of 1 to 10 of messiness, (10 being so messy you can't walk through the apartment) our apartment is a 3, at the MOST? I'm suddenly afraid for this woman to ever see a really messy place.. she'd pass out I think.

the other part that is frustrating is the fact that she rarely cleans. it is like we are her slaves... or at least her personal maid service. She hardly ever cleans up after herself, either. She left cups and a water pitcher in the living room for over a week before she brought them to the kitchen. And, she once yelled at us for not putting one little cup in the dishwasher? Every couple of days I take two to three dirty coffee mugs from the table to put into the dishwasher, even though we have to put our dirty dishes in the dishwasher immediately.... does this not make sense to anyone else? Even this morning: case in point. On her note, "clean the aparment" but in the living room.. she couldn't even take thirty seconds to putthe ironing board and the iron away. hello?

Okay, now.. let's clarify one thing. I like Ellen. I really really do. We have a lot of the same interests, and I can talk to her for quite a while and enjoy every moment. I would just like her more if she didn't yell at us and then not do the things she tells us we always have to do. I understand that she is really busy, and that Fabian and I together have more time than she does for cleaning and such... but she isn't so busy that she can't vacuum or at least take her dishes to the kitchen when she is done with them. And, I don't mind helping.. after all I don't have to pay rent or anything... so I'm sort of earning my rent... but, the situation can be a bit frustrating. Oh.. and she never yells at me. Only at Fabian, who of course tells me....

ahhh.. mother-in-laws are tough. even though, technically, she isn't my mother-in-law.... it's still tough...

but, on a happier note.. I went jogging again today: beginning of week three.. and I start Karate tomorrow, and Yoga on Friday. I've been happier these past few weeks since I have started jogging, and I'm super excited that I'm getting into shape. I already feel better about myself. Oh, and the other day: Tiffany called me! Yep: Tiffany who is now in Iraq! She is doing well, all things considered. They start doing the missions on Monday or so, when the company they are replacing leaves. It's really hot there, like 115 daily. The day after she talked to me it was supposed to be around 90. she was excited, because that is COOL. Wow. I miss her, and I hope she will be okay. I just have to trust God. I have to write her soon! Okay. I'm done now, I promise...

i love my life...