Counters.

Dogs are very useful animals. They make good alarm systems, theft deterrents, bed warmers, exercise buddies, and dish washers. Awesomedog is particularly good at removing every single molecule of edible substance from any surface. This makes him a very convenient alternative to a mop.

I'm pretty sure this cleaning method cannot be used on other surfaces, but there are those who would disagree.

The Cat Room.

The tiny dining room off our kitchen is the Cat Room. It didn't start out that this, and it's really all a matter of coincidence. We never intended to have a designated cat room, it just turned out that way.

We never really eat at the dining table, the room itself is super-tiny, and trying to fit more than a couple of people in there is a little silly. We do, however, feed the cats on the table, and although it is tiny, the dining room has two extremely sunny windows that are usually open. Evilcat's litterbox issues and pawprints on the table led to a few more additions.

The stools we keep under the table turned the tablecloth into a perfect place to hide. When the dogs decided to start raiding the litterbox, we put a tall babygate across the door and ended up with this:

It's a perfect dog-free cat habitat, complete with food, water, litterbox, places to hide, and sunbeams. Someday I'm going to add some shelves so they can climb/fall a bit. Yes, the dining room also has a doorway with a rounded top. It is way too cute. (When I'm outside I like to poke the cats through the window screen.)

Granite

Ways my kitchen counter is awesome:

1. It's covered with various blotches of color, effectively hiding any spills and making it very difficult to tell when the counter is dirty.

Ways my kitchen counter is not awesome:

1. It's covered with various blotches of color, effectively hiding any spills and making it very difficult to tell when the counter is dirty.

Refrigerator Organization

We ADD sufferers are not like the rest of you. Our brains do not work the same way. You can tell if someone has ADD based on how they organize their refrigerator. If you don't have ADD, yours is probably organized like this:

Whereas, if you have ADD your fridge probably looks more like this:

Most of this is the direct result of having a brain that routinely forgets things exist if you can't see them. I've been known to sprout new civilizations in the lettuce soup at the bottom of the crisper drawer.

Public Service Announcement: You can wash fridge drawers and shelves in the shower with hot water if you have a handheld sprayer. I am not responsible for any genocide that may result from this advice.