Hung Out to Dry

You should see our house right this very minute. The radiator in the front entry is draped with three pairs of socks and some unmentionables (perhaps I should have stashed those on the radiator in the bathroom upstairs… hmmm), the radiator in the dining room is sporting two towels, and the radiator in my bedroom is currently dressed in one of my favorite work outfits. 

Why the sudden craziness?  Our dryer bit the dust, that’s why.

A couple of months ago our washer broke down and we were forced to do laundry at our relative’s homes and just once, at the laundromat (I don’t like laundromats: the crying children, the overwhelming smell of bleach and laundry detergent, the humid, moist air…cringe). We tried to fix the machine ourselves, but we had only paid fifty bucks for it a year ago and it was pretty old at that point.  We knew it wouldn’t be worth the parts or effort to revive it.  When that happened, Hubs and I talked about purchasing a new set (both a washer and dryer), but we changed our minds because the dryer seemed to be holding its own.  After a couple weeks of searching we found a “new” washer on Craigslist.  We were back in business. 

Up until last night that is.  Ever since I finished my degree, I’ve been devoting Saturday mornings to laundry and intense cleaning.  By yesterday evening though, I already had a full basket and thought I’d get a jump on things.  I carried the basket down into the dungeon  basement and started my first load in the washer.  At the same time I checked the dryer and was surprised to find a still damp duvet cover I had forgotten about on Saturday.  Two things: 

1.       Why on earth was it still wet?  I know I had turned the dryer on and had it running for at least an hour.

2.       The darn thing smelled awful, having been in the dryer for three days still wet.

I puzzled for a few moments and then flipped the dryer on, nothing happened.  Puzzle.  I tried switching it off and then back on again, but nothing happened.  Puzzle, panic.  I tried changing some settings, but still nothing.  Frustration, puzzle, KICK- KICK- KICK.  Needless to say, the kicking didn’t help the machine run.  I yelled for Hubs, but he couldn’t figure out a fix either.  Double darn.

There I was with a dripping wet, king size duvet cover and a washing machine full of clothes already on the soak cycle… AGHHHHH!!!  Loading those wet items into a basket and hauling them over to the dreaded laundromat was not an option, I refused.  And it was really too late to be hanging stuff outside-- We have one of those retractable laundry lines and to try to set it up in the dark would be asking for trouble in our winter-doggy-poopy-booby-trapped backyard (we do a massive poop pick up in the spring, which hasn’t happened yet).  What to do?  What to do?

Long story short sorta short, I dressed up the radiators.  Praise God for those radiators.  They are so wonderful for warming clothes in the morning, drying mittens and hats after a snowball fight, and for planning a work day ensemble (who knew).  Not everything made it to the radiators, the bigger pieces of laundry are waiting to be hung out this morning, when the sun can shine a light on where it’s safe to step in the yard.  Thankfully, God has blessed us with a warm, windy day perfect for line drying. 

Now we just need to figure out what to do with our old dryer.  I am guessing it will be put out on the corner for the scrap metal guys who drive around with these unsafe-looking retrofitted scrap trucks.  And we will be scouting Craigslist looking for a replacement dryer… 

Will the laundry drama never end?

Like a Wee Little Fish

Hubs and I have started something new: swimming laps.  As a part of our Iron Man Challenge, we have to swim 2.4 miles.  This may seem like peanuts to some, but we have found it to be a lot tougher than we had anticipated.  What I mean by that is... my body hurts.  No, it aches.  I didn't know I had all these muscles, but now I am keenly aware of each one as I shuffle along at a snail's pace.

To help us get past the pain and get our swimming groove on, we each bought a pair of Speedo Vanquisher swim goggles.  I went for a stellar green, mirrored pair and Hubs went the more subtle route with silver (we ordered ours through Amazon.com).  Eventually, I want to add a Speedo swim cap, but I've put it off because I think they look funny. What I didn't understand until recently is that swim caps serve an important purpose-- helping one cut through the water without worrying about ears getting clogged and hair getting tangled.  And honestly, I need all the help I can get.

While swimming has been harder than we had planned, I really love it.  To reach our Ironman Challenge goals, we also have to run 26.2 miles and bike 112 miles.  Of the three, I find swimming to be the best all-body workout and the one I enjoy the most.  I like the challenge of training my legs to kick properly and getting my strokes to be more graceful and complete.  Of course, I am no expert.  One day back in the beginning, I was half way through my laps (.4 miles equals 14 laps at our pool) when the women's water polo team came in for practice.  They all sat on the bleachers to wait for the lanes to open.  As I swam slowly past, I swear I heard one of them say, "I think that girl in the green, mirrored goggles is drowning.  Should we do something?"  Hubs thinks I am making this up because he claims they had better things to do than watch me swim, but I swear I heard it. 

Looking beyond technique and muscle pain, I would say the most difficult part of swimming is taking off my t-shirt and shorts to jump into the pool.  I am still very self-conscience of my body.  I have lost a total of 105 pounds as of today and I am now a size 8/10 or M/L.  I can't believe it- literally, I still think of myself as big.  Walking around in a skin-tight swimsuit is about as vulnerable as you can get (especially when the pool is located at your place of employment, is surrounded by glass windows, and is crawling with tiny college girls).  Anyway, the first time Hubs and I went, I thought about making a run for it, but instead I said a quick prayer and dropped my towel.  Wonder of wonders- the world didn't end, nobody pointed and laughed.  I don't think anyone even glanced in my direction, except for Hubs who told me I looked hot....Smile...Blush... I put on my super power goggles and jumped into the pool. 

Update: I finished my Ironman Challenge yesterday (one week early).  I am so happy to have this under my belt.  What's next you ask?  I am planning on a sprint triathlon in June.  This means I'm going to be spending a lot more hours in the pool and the gym.