Thankless Tasks

Is there a household task more thankless than washing old windows?

I can’t think of one off hand.  I mean other jobs are a pain—shampooing the carpets, cleaning the oven—but at least they give you a momentary feeling of accomplishment and a couple of days of feeling that the house is clean.  Windows, old windows, never look clean.  There are always streaks or smudges somewhere and then they get spattered with rain within a few hours—guaranteed.  And even though I don’t think the windows look sparkling clear, there is always, always a bird that thinks the glass has disappeared so – smack – bird sludge on the pane.

Here’s another thing that I resent having to spend time on every week—doing my nails.  All that fussing to shape and file and then they just keep on growing.   I personally do not view my nails as a fashion accessory and really don’t see the need to have them extend past the ends of my fingertips.  Twice a week I have to sit down and deal with nails that have gotten too long for my comfort.  It has to be a design flaw.

And think about weeding.  I do like to be outside and I don’t mind weeding so much actually.  But will someone tell me why grass can grow so quickly in a freshly weeded garden plot and languish, turning crispy brown out in the actual lawn.  Some people have wild flower gardens.  I could have one of those if I would just learn to appreciate the indigenous plants that I am choosing to call weeds instead.  And then some nursery purchase from long ago has become weed.  I swear our entire acre would turn to  a field of johnnie-jump-ups if left to its own devices.
What are the chores you can do without?