Okay, the bed is out.

This was a very, very old mattress, and the rubber has been in the process of disintegrating, probably since before we got it. So Dan pulled the bedroom window out of the frame and I started work on the mattress--we'd thought I'd have to saw it apart, but it was in such bad shape that I was able to pull it into pieces with my bare hands. (Impressive to the five-year-old before I shooed her out of the room!) I put the pieces in large trash bags and tossed them out the window. Then, with help, got the two parts of the box spring out the window as well. (The good news is that there's plenty of room to pass a twin-sized box spring through the window, so very likely that will be how we get the new ones in as well.) Dan disassembled the broken frame and that went out, along with the headboard (we'll do without for a while). Then the picking-up of all that had fallen under the bed, and then the vacuuming of the rug under the bed.

And then the taking of a shower because I had been enveloped in clouds of powdered rubber several times and wanted it out of my hair NOW, as well as needing to wash the rubber smell off of my hands. I suppose I could have worn gloves to tear apart the mattress, but all I've got are rubber gloves and that would just be silly.

So I've done the initial vacuuming and am waiting for the dust to settle before I make another run at it. Maybe see about dinner first.