I am preparing to attend a meeting of the National Organization of Episcopal Resource Center. Traveling means having clean clothes. Having clean clothes means doing laundry. So this morning I took my laundry baskets down to the laundry room and filled three washing machines--one with sheets and towels, the other two with clothes.
While the clothes were in the washers, I loaded all the stuff going to Goodwill into the car. By the time that and a couple of other small chores were done, it was time to put the three loads of laundry into two dryers--which are significantly larger than the washers. Sheets, towels, underwear, socks and the like into one dryer, and the permanent press and other work clothes in the other. All the tee shirts and other pullovers I took back to the apartment and hung on a rack to dry.
During the dry cycle I paid bills and updated my checkbook. Just enough time to do that before going back to the laundry room to pull the permanent press stuff out of the dryer. I like to pull it out while it is still a bit damp and put it on hangers. Once I emptied the dryer, I noticed a Chapstick in the bottom of it. The cap was still on, so I did not think anything of it and threw it out. Back to the apartment again to hang up the damp clothes.
The first shirt I pulled out of the basket had a stain on the front. I thought, I don't remember spilling anything on the front of this. I guess I'll have to hit it with spot remover. As I tossed it on the table, I noticed similar stains on the back of it. Well, that's not right, I thought. The next shirt I pulled out was a light colored one. It also had stains on it. Red stains. Ick. Cherry Chapstick all over EVERYTHING. When I tried to remove the stain, I ended up with weird green stains, or grease stains. That meant everything from that load of laundry had to be thrown out.
Of course, that totally screwed up my whole afternoon schedule. I had been planning to start replacing the clothes, just not all at once. So I dug out a couple of Kohl's gift cards I'd been given and then started out on my errands. Post Office, Goodwill to drop off the stuff in the car, bank. Then, instead of meeting Mom for coffee as we had originally planned, I met her at Kohl's at her suggestion. She said I might as well take advantage of her senior discount.
Two pairs of slacks, two dress shirts, three more casual shirts, two belts, two ties, and some underwear later, the initial bill came to close to $300. Ouch! Fortunately, between the gift cards and Mom's discount it came to half that. Of course, my stepfather thinks I'm nuts because I now have not many clothes in my closet. Mom thinks it is great. I like the fact that all my clothes--work clothes, casual clothes, good winter coat, Faire garb, dance camp skirts and sarongs, and my alb--fit in one closet. Besides, how many clothes do I really need? I work five days a week, I have five work shirts.
On the other hand, it means I absolutely must do laundry every week. You win some, and you lose some.
Peace,
Jeffri
No comments:
Post a Comment