The Zen of Laundry

Laundry is one of those tasks that is never done. No matter how hard I try there is always something waiting to be washed, dried, folded, ironed or put away. I can wash all day long and think the job is complete, but new laundry magically appears. There's the dishrag that didn't get put in with the last load, the socks and undies we're all wearing, or the shirt that just got spit up on.

I'm sure laundry teaches us some deep lesson about permanence and eternity. It certainly feels permanent and eternal.

I recently read that, despite our modern conveniences, we spend MORE time doing laundry than our grandmothers did. This is because we have more clothes, and we wash them far more often. I don't know about you, but I rarely wear the same dress all week before I wash it.

I DO, however, have a strict one towel a week rule in my house. It's something that was drummed into me growing up as one of eight kids. (You can have two if you're working out or doing a really dirty home improvement project that involves the crawl space or attic.) If you were doing laundry for 10 people, believe me, you'd make that rule, too. Besides, these days can't I claim it's a "green" practice? Yeah, that's it. It's about the environment, not about creating less work for me.

I am doing a lot more laundry these days, though the job is definitely made easier thanks to the spiffy new high-capacity washer and dryer I bought on my infamous trip to Home Depot. (Their electric cart died and I had to roll my very pregnant self around the appliance section on an office chair).

Doing more laundry has yet to elevate me to a higher spiritual plane, but I sure am glad I don't have to run it all through the wringer and hang it on the line to dry.

One must come to accept that laundry and the state of doing laundry are continuous.

There is peace in acceptance.

Then again, maybe I just need to put the cap back on the bleach.

You Can Do It. We Can Help?

Today, my mom and I went to Home Depot to purchase a new, larger capacity washer and dryer and a second refrigerator for the garage. She and Jeff had scoped it all out Saturday, and I called to ask if they had the electric carts so I could take it easy and wouldn't have to walk very far. They did. So, feeling fine this morning, and committed to staying off my feet as much as possible (I'm not on bed rest, but there's that whole stamina issue), we drove to Home Depot.

A very helpful sales associate went to get me an electric cart. The first one was dead, despite the fact that it was plugged in, but the second one worked. I got on and off we went. Well, sort of. Let's just say that in a foot race held TODAY, I could have beaten anyone driving this electric cart.

After a brief stop in the paint department, we headed for the appliances at the back of the store. It was there that my cart gave a couple mighty gasps and died. Completely. Dead battery.

Isn't is a little embarrassing that Home Depot can't keep its electric carts working? Aren't they in the business of fixing stuff? I wanted to tell the associate who came to my aid, "Batteries are on aisle 9."

Instead, I hoisted myself off the electric cart and transferred myself to a comfy looking rolling office chair in the appliance department. Meanwhile two sales guys came and lifted the dead electric cart onto one of those big pallet carts and wheeled it back to its "charging station" and said they'd bring me one of their wheelchairs.

But they couldn't find any of their wheelchairs.

Perhaps the wheels came off and they were all in the back room waiting for a do-it-yourselfer to put the wheels back on?

Now I must apologize that we don't have video of this, because it was laugh-out-loud funny, but that left me scooting around the appliance section on a rolling chair, with my mom behind me helping to steer. Occasionally I'd get up and walk a bit, but mostly it was me, the laughing Buddha, on a rolling chair, shopping for a washer and dryer and a refrigerator. I thought Home Depot should have thrown in an extra 10% off just for that!

When we walked out, all the way from the BACK OF THE STORE, we said something about no electric cart and no wheelchair, and another sales associate said she knew where the wheelchairs were, but by then it was too late. I'd already scooted around the entire appliance department on a rolling office chair, and our car was right outside the door.

So thanks Home Depot. I CAN do it, but as for your help...you might want to work on that.