Saturday, September 20, 2008

A Foggy Day and Wet Clothes

I'm sorry to disappoint you, but the fizz in the Fresca was just about the high point of my week!

Yesterday I did the laundry and there was not anything exciting there except that one of the washing machines has a glitch. It is a good glitch, because (shhh, it's our little secret) it will start with only one quarter rather than the whole dollar that the sign recommends you to feed into the thing. I was glad of that because when it came to drying, I didn't do so well.

The little laundry room (6 washers and 6 dryers) was a busy place yesterday, and folks were pushing and shoving and threatening to throw clothes out for their turn at the dryers. I managed to get dryers for my three loads, but they were not all next to each other.

Now you have to realize that the day I turned 43 a deficiency of certain hormones started a mental fog rolling in, and it has never lifted. Some days it is denser than others, but I'm always having to go with my headlights on dim now. (It's a good thing because I don't think they could be bright anymore if I wanted them to.)

Anyway, all dryers look alike to me, and after I got my loads started, I couldn't remember which dryers contained my clothes. So, I did the little open the door and peek thing. I forced my brain to remember--first, second, and fourth dryers, starting from the right end.

All was well and I went to the camper to wait out the 45 minutes until the machines were finished melting and wrinkling my nicer clothes. Thank goodness they leave the towels and jeans good and damp! At least everything is not ruined!

I was not going to let anybody throw my clothes out, so I returned to the laundry a little early. I also wanted to hang Rick's work clothes while they were still hot. One man and a woman were eyeing my dryers like a couple of buzzards ready to jump on the last morsel of roadkill. "We thought you would never get back!" The guy was standing there with a Bounce sheet in his hand.

I smarted off and told him I took a nap while I was back at the camper. Then I pulled open the dryer door to start hanging Rick's pants. Well. What'd ya know? I must have forgotten to start the dryer back after I peeked in on them--almost forty--um--humph. Sheezzzz! It was that mental fog again!

You know the timer just keeps on ticking down time even if the machine is not tumbling. So there I was with an expired dryer full of wet clothes and Mr. and Ms. Gotta-Dry-Mine-Now racing to see which one of them could shove their stuff in that little cold opening first!

Sometimes it is hard to grin, but you just have to. So I did. I decided to be cool about this--I nonchalantly pushed the start button and the tub began to turn. Good thing I came back a few minutes early! There was just a couple of minutes remaining on the timer, so I left it going while I tended to the other two loads.

As soon as I emptied dryer number one, I had to duck to get out of the way of the Bounce sheet and an armload of wet socks. I don't know who got dryer number two, I couldn't bear to watch.

When I was finished folding and hanging the first two loads I turned back to dryer number three which was being closely guarded by the woman, who, by the way, was still in need of a dryer. It was no longer running.

At the speed of light I thought through my options. (I may be driving in the fog, but I do it as fast as I can.) With that hard-to-muster grin on my face, I pulled four more quarters out of my pocket, put them in the coin slots and gave the plunger a shove, then pushed the button. She looks just as far over the hill as I am. Surely she will understand mental fog, I thought.

I explained to her that the load was not dry because--well... She didn't understand as well as I had hope.

"You didn't start it?" She was frowning, and suddenly I wanted a Fresca--and a nap. I headed back to the camper to hide out for another 45 minutes.

I thought I'd never get all the laundry done yesterday. It seems like it took me all day. I think it had something to do with the fog.

6 comments:

Brittney said...

Mental fog....hhhmmm....I have that to, but did not realize it. I take off my glasses and don't know where I left them. I put my phone down and spend 45 minutes looking for it. I don't remember where I left my shoes. I go to rooms and wonder why I am there. I am driving down the highway and think to myself. Where was I going. I think that is why I have trouble getting my closets cleaned out. Getting everything I need at the store. Going to the store and getting things I already have. ( three big containers of salt in my pantry).Then to top it off. My wonderful hubby wants me to know where his phone is, where his glasses are and where little pieces of paper he needs are. Very interesting.....I am sure we are not the only two who suffer from such fog....Hope you have a great week-end. Hopeful you and your wonderful hubby can get out and drive a little fog away.

Lavonda Pflug said...

Yes sweet sister, we are all in the pea soup together. I'm reading a book I think you would enjoy. It's called Hot Flashes from Heaven by Ronna Snyder. You can find it at your local Christian book store. I've laughed and I've cried as I read. Once you start reading you may not be able to put it down. (If you do you may not be able to find it again! LOL)
Love ya!

Anonymous said...

I don't have any of the problems with that mental fog thing. HA HA that is a real laugh. I agree with what Brittney said but I have to add that my kids are worse than my husband about asking me where I put things that I have not ever even seen. I thought I was the only one. I am so glad to know that I am not. I have been wondering about Kaleena. With all the stories coming out of Houston. I hope that all is well and she is doing fine. I had better go as my spelling is in the fog tonight. I cannot seem to be able to spell a single word without having to retype it. Hope that your next week is better and more interesting than the laundry room. Cindy

Lavonda Pflug said...

Cindy,
Kaleena is doing fine. She was a blessed one and had power and water back about 48 hours after the storm. She has not been able to go to work this week but expects to go back on Monday.
And about the spelling fog... I've always been a poor speller, but the other day I could not remember how to spell "upon." I couldn't even get it close enough for spell check to figure out what I meant! Talk about FOG!!! I'm better now. But who knows what I'll forget tomorrow?

Stonefox said...

This is funny! I thought the fog started with having kids...oh no, I think I'm in trouble if it gets worse!

Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving a comment. I've enjoyed my look around yours! And I didn't know all that about Fireproof. I want to see it for sure now!

Lavonda Pflug said...

Heidi,
I wish I had half the brain power I did back when my kids were little like yours. Get in the habbit of writing yourself notes now. Someday you'll be glad you did!
Thanks for stopping by. Come back again soon! I'll see on your page from time to time.
God bless your ministry!