Fresh Start Fridge

So I know that summer has begun, as I am cleaning out the refrigerator. Yeah, I know, it is probably something I should do more regularly, and don't get me wrong, I throw out perishables and such each week prior to grocery shopping, but I mean the take everything out, wipe down the shelves kind of cleaning. That screams school's out to me, and that's what I'm doing today.

Let me fill you in a little on my evolution in refrigerator cleanliness. We moved into our house in February of 1997, and had a new to us, clean refrigerator. At that time, I don't even know that my 26 year old, had only lived in dorms and apartments, self really even knew you had to clean out a fridge. Being homeowners and all, we moved on to the next step in real life adulthood, and I got pregnant for Devin in June of that year. He was born in March of 1998, and my mom came to stay for the week. Along with talking me down, and teaching me how to care for a newborn, she cleaned my fridge. We had Gwynn three years later, almost to the day, and mom came again, and she cleaned the fridge again. And honestly, I don't know if it had been cleaned between the two births. Go ahead and judge, I don't care. They are alive, and so are we, so really, was it a problem?

Well, Gwynn was our last kid, and although mom, and dad, came to visit a lot, it was never for a whole week, and somewhere along the way I realized that I was either going to have to have another kid, or learn to clean my own refrigerator. I am glad with the choice I made.

Now, I am older, I have learned a bit, and when you know better you do better as Oprah always says. I'd say I clean out the fridge maybe twice a year, but this summer one always gets me. It is often the first task of summer. It just feels like a good place to start. And I find all kinds of treasures that remind me of the year gone by. There's an old jar of capers, that surely made the cut last time I cleaned, but now, their Sharpie date of 9/14 is a little past due, being from the very first month of school and all. There is red pepper spread that I discovered on a lengthy shopping trip in the fall, and cooked up with chicken. Thinking it'd be great on a sandwich too, I tucked the leftover in the fridge, but when it is shoved to the back on the bottom shelf, there is little hope. I find a Bud Light with Lime, on its side, and rolled to the back on the bottom as well. I furtively drink it as I finish my task, not wanting to take the flack from my Craft Beer hubby, but also because I feel a little guilty having a beer at 12:30 on a Friday.

But then, I sit down for a couple of minutes, and realize it is summer. It is anything goes time. It is time off time. And I stop my task for a while, and finish my beer out on the newly built deck. Drinking it, and the potential in...not of the beer, it is actually pretty bad...but of the two months ahead, I realize how happy I truly am.

All that, from a little GreenWorks and some paper towels.
Maybe I should clean more often.
Welcome Summer 2015.