Windexing the steps

Yesterday morning it rained for a few hours straight and the camp turned into one huge mud puddle. I picked my way across the parking lot to the front doors of our office building. It's a building left from the Iraqi air base we took, so it's a solid structure with faux marble tile floors. As I tried to kick all the mud off my boots, I saw a specialist who works in our office kneeling over the steps to the front door.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

He replied that he was Windexing the stairs. On closer inspection, he was, in fact, bent over with a wad of paper towels and a squirt bottle of Windex. He said we were preparing for a general's visit.

I told him I'd jump over the steps, but I couldn't guarantee anything from the others. I have to admit, though, the steps looked pretty clean.

Today we got a polite e-mail from our commander asking us to make ourselves scarce when the general arrives. Sounds good to me. I don't want to be the one who has to Windex the steps again.