Housewife Hazards

Sigh.

Today was just not my day.

It started out well enough, with getting to sleep in (I work every day except Friday), and then my first activities being breakfast made by my husband followed by my violin lesson. In fact, the breakfast was great, and the lesson went very well.

Then I came home.

I spent some time working out in the front yard, cutting back some shrubs and one rose bush, getting rid of the winter plants in the planter box from Mom C. and replacing them with a mum and two pansies I had left over from planting the other 15 in my front flower beds, and sweeping up after myself. I also moved all the herbs and veggies from their spot on the front porch out to the back patio, because they need more sun. I thought I'd have had more time to plant them by now (which I'd normally do out front, and then just pick up the planter boxes and move them to the back patio, but I hadn't had enough time this week), but I just didn't get it done. So, they're temporarily still in their little black plastic boxes, in the base for one of the planter boxes, and awaiting their new home in the planter boxes.

After doing all that, I was sweaty and dirty, so I took a quick shower. I decided the laundry better get done today (even though it's not really a laundry day), because today is the only time this weekend I'll be able to get it all finished up. I put a load of darks in, came out to the family room to do some listing on eBay and ironing, and relaxed for a bit while I did that stuff. I went into the laundry room when I heard the washer stop, and switched loads.

This was a mistake. It's where everything tumbled downhill. The yarnball of my day completely unraveled here, completely unknown to me until 2 hours later.

I came back out, moved on to my next set of ironing, and this HUGE crash that came from next door our outside or something literally shook the house. Well, when the house shook, it just happened to be the precise moment when I was moving the sheet I was ironing. That basically meant there was nothing steadying the ironing board. Yep. It tipped. Yep, so did the iron. Yep, I have a burn.

It looks a lot redder in person. And it hurt SO bad. I got vinegar on it right away, rinsed it, did it again, soaked it in the vinegar, rinsed it off, and just in the time it took me to walk to the hallway to get the Neosporin, I was in so much pain, I started running to our bedroom to get it.

So. Back to laundry I went, after I my flesh stopped burning. (Housewive Hazard #1).


I took the first load out of the dryer, and moved the second load into the dryer. This was my next - and most serious - mistake.



Even though the iron bit me, I came back out anyway to finish up the last couple things I had left. By the time I finished and was ready to go to rehearsal, the dryer had stopped. I went back to get the laundry, and that's when the horror really began.

I took out one of my brand new hoodies - white, mind you, and I have not stained it since Robert bought it for me a couple weeks ago - and I see blue. Blue everywhere. Blue dots, blots and spots all over my brand new white hoodie. Oh. My. Word. (Housewife Hazard #2)


As I slowly start taking everything else out of the dryer, I notice that all our other whites have blue everywhere. Then I start shaking when I realize what it was. I run to the bedroom where I'd plopped the darks down on the floor by our bed (the one thing I did that saved us today, believe it or not!), and started frantically searching for the culprit.

Sadly, Robert's work pants got the brunt of the verbal attacks I launched without any other human being around to hear or defend them.

Yep, a blue ballpoint pen and cap were in the pocket.


How did this go unnoticed?! Well, it's easy: It starts with me wanting to help my husband and do laundry for him, my husband coming home between his first job and his second to help me out by picking up his dirty stuff and putting it in the hamper, and it ends with both of us being too busy with other stuff to double and triple check the pockets. Both of us were sure he checked them, and I felt everything before I put them in the wash, but somehow that pen got missed.


This is all happening 5 minutes before I have to leave, might I add.


So, I did what all grown-ups do: I called mommies. Robert's mommy and mine. I wasn't angry or anything, I was actually laughing by then (because what do you do at that point of frustration?), and I was just worried about saving Robert's work clothes and salvaging my 3 brand new shirts and hoodie and pj pants. Well, one mommy told me how to get the pen out of the dryer and salvage all the clothes I could, but advised me to just go on to my rehearsal. What was done, was done. The other mommy gave me exactly the same advice, and suggested shopping online to replace what I couldn't save.

All of the above is happening tonight.



The dryer is free from any ink, and clean as ever. The clothes/ linens that could be salvaged have been treated and are fine. (Thankfully, this includes Robert's work clothes and one of my good towels!!)


Here are some of the casualties...

PJ pants - note right leg (top) bleach stains

Brand new Aero hoodie and Old Navy t-shirt - both with plenty of blue ink and bleach stains

More bleach on my new favorite shirt :(

I think we actually saved this one! We got most of the ink back out of it!

So, anyway, I gave Robert my Old Navy coupon to go and get some new stuff to replace the few things that got ruined. He's going to go shopping for me while I'm at work tomorrow, since he totally came home to a (jokingly stated), "Do you wanna hear what went on at this house today?! While you were at yer' job?!" (If you've ever seen Bill Engvall's routine about that, you know what I'm referencing.) Robert's one request was that I write down specifically what I want, sizes and all. I totally did. :) And I'm thankful that he's willing to go for me, so I can deal with a different kind of stress: the last weekend of working tax season at H&R Block.



Oh, I forgot to mention that on my out of our development, a 3-year-old boy ran out in front of my Trailblazer. The mother watched the whole thing. I got out and told her that her child could have been killed, if it had been after school. Thankfully, I was only going about 10-12mph, and stopped in time - barely. She looked right at me and said, "He always does that. He's fine." Um, EXCUSE ME?!!! I told her that no, it was not fine that her child runs out in front of cars (they live on the corner of 108th and one of the side streets), and that she needed to teach him that it is very dangerous to do that! He could get killed! I also mentioned that a person - let alone, a small child - is no match for an SUV! She really didn't take me seriously. It will be a very sad day for her and her child when he runs out in front of a car that doesn't stop in time, or that has a driver who isn't paying attention, if what she told me is true (that he "always" does it). (Housewife Hazard #3).


Sigh. It's been a long afternoon and evening here. I'm going to bed. Happy Friday the 13th! Grrrrr.....