And I thought my house was bad....

So I'm sure that every woman out there would say there is work to be done on their house right now. It's either messy or cluttered, or it needs more interior decor....whatever. You have guests come over, you apologize for the mess (what mess right?) and you tidy up a little, no big deal. I mean...my house gets cluttered but I can honestly say that I feel that it's not messy. After today however, I can honestly say that I feel that my house is spotless in it's current state.

My family had the lovely (not really) privelage (HA!) of cleaning what I've come to call, the Nightmare House this week. Here's a little background information on what we'll dub NMH for shorter typing purposes. I met Jayson when I was sixteen and we became really good friends a year later and have stayed friends ever since. Not once has he ever invited me into his house for reasons that will become clear shortly. When I met Jordan and we started dating, he too would not allow me into his mother's house. They both told me it was disgusting and that it would be better if I just didn't go in.

Now...I'd heard stories from various members of the family concerning this NMH, all involving words like gross, atrocious, health hazard, disgusting....etc. and I just let it go at that. I had a picture in my mind, just from the smell alone, and had no desire to see inside. Anything and everything that came out of that house smelled like musty old animal piss....no joke. I was thrilled when Jordan was finally able to move out. We didn't even bother washing his clothes, we bought him new ones....and we were both sad to have to throw his cologne away (even that was tainted buy the NMH smell).

Finally, after years of having the NMH loom over everybody, Jordan's mom moved out and abandoned it. Really. Didn't even take all her stuff. So the Leavitt kids get together, wanting to be done with the NMH, and decide we're going to empty it out and try to sell it...hence the reason for going down there this week to "clean". We picked out our dingiest clothes, donned our rubber gloves and face masks....and entered the NMH. Now this was my first time inside and I was seriously blown away. My first thought was to wonder how someone could let their home get that bad. The carpet was completely ruined and covered in piss, poop, garbage and who knows what else. There was one spot in the living room where it looked like animal poop had been smeared down the wall (don't know how that one happened...don't really want to).

Jordan and I go into what used to be his room to scoop garbage into trash bags and clear it out. At this point, the house has only been empty for about a month and the utilities have been shut off. It's below freezing! Which we eventually decided to be glad for because if it were mid-summer, there would be no way to ignore the smell. So I'm holding the trash bag...to afraid to move because there's mouse poop all over the place and totally stunned at the filth. Jordan handed me an old, rotten, crusty brownish orange cheese stick, still in the package thank goodness and oh susanna! I will never eat string cheese ever again. So I throw it in the trash bag and decide to turn my body toward the door and there's a milk carton stuck to the door about a foot above the floor. ?! How does that happen! So Jordan literally has to peel it off, still leaving some of the carton behind....at this point, Brynn starts squealing from the kitchen. Turns out, she's cleaning the fridge. I come around to take a peek and I can see what can only be described as sludge all over the surrounding floor. She's yelling for no one to come in because the fridge is full of weavel and maggots. Weavel and maggots! So she continues to clean the fridge while trying not to puke and Sean and Nedra have grabbed a couple brooms so they can just start sweeping up the garbage.

Just when I'm thinking we're about done upstairs I decide to venture downstairs to the basement and immediately wish I hadn't. It was full of junk too! Clothes, furniture, garbage, used cat litter....is EVERYWHERE. I was so overwhelmed! We decided to call it a day and come back later in the week and we all head home to shower (a couple of times for a few of us).

Two days later, some pipes break and the basement floods. It's now covered by a foot of water. Lovely. Now we get to shovel everything out in buckets....soaking wet. At this point, Jordan's mom has washed her hands of it and is no longer there to help. Which is probably for the best because it's hella awkward anyway....cleaning up their mess and all. It's not even close to being finished but I will be so relieved when this mess is done. Anymore projects like this one though and Jordan's mother....is on her own.