Just this year, it suddenly occurred to me that there area a few practical home management skills I wasn't able to master before I got married. Or at least, before I moved out of the family home, which was technically when I turned 14. Topping the list is for me, one of the most horrifying things I ever had to do by myself...
Cleaning Out Fish Innards
As a younger person, at least in terms of years lived, the only moment I had closest to doing this was that afternoon when my Grandfather forced me to put some salt on the freshly cleaned fish he would be frying for our meal. I was so appalled at the thought of touching an animal carcass and looking back, I didn't even know why. I tried to look farther back even. Nope. Not a clue. Perhaps it's something that happened to me in my past life, you know, before I turned into something human-like. But if it will actually be proven that there is no past life for anyone of us, then the hope of ever finding an explanation from my deadbody-scare is gone forever. We'll probably never know.
So several weeks ago, I was put in a position wherein I had to clean out fish, take out their glob and goo, lest I allow my pets to go hungry. I am not sure if it's a success but then again they ate what I cooked, and for now that's probably enough. However, looking at the scene-of-the-crime afterwards, I guess we'll have the forensics guys make their conclusion. *slowly putting both hands at the back, ready for cuffing*
This one isn't as bad as the first. In fact, it is something very simple. Thanks to all those days I spent watching my Grandma whip up our home into a habitable place, while I perpetually annoyed her with my endless chatter and out-of-this-universe lines of questioning. Once you're technically an adult, one who actually owns a refrigerator, you will find out that it is not as magical as you once thought it to be. Not unless you live in Hogwarts.
Three Important, Non-Negotiable Facts About Refrigerators
You need to defrost them regularly.
After defrosting, you must clean it up completely.
It won't miraculously churn out food for you, unless you fill it up sometimes.
3. Tending a Mini Garden
Isn't that adorable? Having your own mini garden right in your backyard wherein you can have 24/7 access to the freshest leafies (and maybe a little Timothy of your own someday, if you feel like it). We had flower boxes in front of our home when I was a kid. My Grandpa took care of them. So much. He even put up a tiny fence around it so naughty little neighborhood children won't sit on them and kill his plants. Plus that booming voice he had which scares them all away. All that was left was to add an invisible force field around it to complete the picture. I didn't get the chance to try gardening. I mean, REAL gardening. If you'd like to count in the time when I had a "pet" Calamansi plant in our backyard which I watered almost everyday, and the tiny Ipil-ipil plant-which-morphed-into-a-huge-hazardous-tree-to-whom-I-sometimes-shared-my-childhood-secrets, and the Euphorbia I accidentally watered to her death when I was 21... be my guest.
This post had been in my Drafts folder for weeks already. And because I sometimes like to pretend to be a useful and credible source of information for my readers, imaginary or otherwise, I tried to squeeze out more. But nothing came out. I guess these three are all for now. Maybe these are the ones that are the most important. LOL (Voice In My Head: "Shut up and hit Publish now or I'll be the one to hit you on the head!)
Gee, thanks.
Photo Credit: Toon Pool
