I worked as a waitress when I was in high school and college, and was taught the old waitressing rule, "Never travel empty."
Basically, what it means is that you're wasting time if your hands aren't full. If you have to run back to the kitchen to pick up an order, you might as well take the dirty glasses from the recently vacated table on your way. My great-grandma called it "saving steps" (which is an important thing to do when you're in your 80s, but never made sense to me when I was a kid).
When I'm chasing my kids around the house, I try to remember not to "travel empty." If I have to go shoo MG off of the stairs for the 92nd time, I could take the toys that need to go back to her room with me. When I go to the playroom to find out why it's a little too quiet, I pick up some of the migratory toys on my way.
This little rule helps me keep up with the clutter a little better. Not that my house is clean by any stretch of the imagination, but at least we can see the floor (most of the time). Works for me!
6 comments:
What a great little phrase--a reminder to grab something and double up on a trip through a room.
I can barely keep up with the stuff strewn about by the four kids. However, the older ones are getting mature enough that I could use this as a catch phrase. I hope it works. "Hey, kids, grab that as you go--'Never Travel Empty!'"
We'll see...
we have a bunch of stairs in our house...so I'm always yelling "grab something on your way up!" LOL Great tip. Thanks!
Brilliant. I like this idea!
Great idea! :o)
Okay, I admit I am not commenting on your current post....I just wandered onto your blog from your WFMW link....I chose your link at random, becasue who has time to look at them all! Anyway, I also randomly picked your Jun 8 WTF Friday post to read, and seriously, you must live in Albuquerque, NM, because that's where I live and I could imagine this sort of senario happening anyday of the week in my neck of the woods. Only, usually it's some drunk dude in my alley. Anyway, glad you had the camera, and soooo glad you took a picture, because really....who would believe that kind of story without the hard evidence. Loved it, and thanks for the afternoon laugh!
Great reminder - I try to live by this one every day. When I stick to it, it really makes a difference!
Post a Comment