BETWEEN THE LINES: MAID NEEDED TO CATCH UP WITH HOUSEHOLD CHORES

I never thought I'd say this but I need a maid.

As organized as I try to be, the household chores have just gotten away from me.

I generally like housework and the sense of accomplishment that comes from seeing the dust wiped away and the sparkle of a newly mopped floor. But lately I've lost control, and the house is slowly winning the war on grime.

Last week I was trying to be nanny, nurse and still keep a full workday schedule. Needless to say, I failed.

My house is filthy, and the dust bunnies are turning into monster-size rabbits.

I tried to clean over the weekend, but it seemed that every time I'd pick up the clutter in one room, it would just move into another.

So to solve the clutter problem in my bedroom, I rearranged the furniture. Two weeks ago, I swapped the contents of one kitchen cabinet with another. It seemed like it would save time in the long run and make my space more efficient.

You see, I read all the organization tips in those magazines, and it works for a while. Eventually, though something falls by the wayside. The newspapers start to multiply or the recycling overflows, and I give up.

Then I read a story about people who are looking for household managers. It hit a chord with me -- maybe that's the solution to my problem, I thought.

With the booming economy, more (rich) people are looking for professionals to run their home. These aren't just maids and butlers anymore, but household managers.

A woman in Columbus, Ohio, quit her job after nine years in customer service to run a 15,000-square-foot home. She supervises a nanny and gardener, buys groceries and cares for the pets. Not to mention cleaning the place.

And she apparently found a niche. People are willing to pay between $25,000 and $100,000 to a person who can clean their antiques and plan their meals and parties. Maybe I need help, but not in those amounts.

Of course this woman is a professional. She went to a professional domestic institute in Columbus -- one of two such schools in the nation.

She spent $4,500 to learn how to run an expensive household. The courses covered everything from caring for artwork to managing a financial budget.

And I thought all you needed to know was how to operate a vacuum cleaner and dust mop.

While working as a nanny in Connecticut, I once joked about being the household manager for the parents because the girls could nearly take care of themselves. At the time, the children were more independent than dependent, so I ended up running errands for their parents and driving the girls to sports practice.

I have often thought that a messenger service or errand service would be a great second job for people with too much to do that we can't ever get anything accomplished.

But then again, maybe a time management course might be more useful.

~Laura Johnston is a copy editor for the Southeast Missourian.