Surprisingly expensive

This morning, I washed the dishes, did a load of laundry, vacuumed the floor, and took off the grating of the heater and vacuumed inside the heater, and also cleaned the area underneath the grating that you can't reach with the floor vacuum if the grating is attached (oh, if the original owners had only installed it two inches higher). The sort of morning that has always been a surprisingly pleasant, surprisingly fun "isn't it nice to make a clean house" experience.

Well, it still was all those things. But by the time I was through, I was barely able to stay standing while I took a post-cleaning shower, and barely able to walk. Anywhere.

I somehow made it to the bedroom, dove into the bed and slept, hard, for something like three hours. I'm just now finding the strength to do the things that I actually wanted to spend the day doing (even though I'm still glad that I got so much cleaned).

Intellectually, I know how much what most people would call "normal" activities cost (energetically), but I don't always remember how much they actually cost. And how much the reminder of that cost, also costs.

Still, on balance, it remains a thoroughly lovely day. Windows are open and filling the house with gentle, clean autumn air, adding to the loveliness. So I didn't get the creative work done (yet) that I was planning on doing. But the dishes, clothes, and floor are clean.

Oh well. Such is the MS road. You take what you can get.