Crazy Launderette Lady

The joys of working from home include being able to get little odd bits of housework done during the work day. That one is able to do chores during the day doesn't, of course, mean that they actually get done. The last 2 weeks I have been disgracefully neglectful of my regular houseworky tasks, but we had a guest (my brother), so I excused myself.

Since he left yesterday, I have no more excuses not to be a proper domestic, other than malaise or laziness, I went to the launderette with a pile of laundry. It's right around the corner so I can take things over there and then come home and, theoretically, get some work done.

Launderettes are funny places - a really public place full of complete and total strangers watching you literally air your underwear. Kind of like being on an airplane: one would never, ever sit that close to a complete stranger in any other setting. If you both go to sleep, you're probably sleeping closer to them, proximity-wise, than you might with your significant other. You see a different side of a person when you see them in these sorts of situations, such as at the launderette. A side that perhaps might otherwise be only seen in the home. The sweatpanted, messy haired, trashy magazine reading, grumpy side. One is completing a household chore that most people aren't particularly fond of, in a public sphere. In short, often one is often at their worst at the launderette.

This morning's experience was no exception. I went to switch the load from the washer to the dryer*. I had a woman literally shove the laundry cart at me. Apparently I had left the offending cart in front of her dryer.

"Are you done with this?"

"Yes"

"Then get it out of my way."

And she pushed the cart, quite forcefully, in my direction. I had to catch it, to avoid it running into me. I looked at one of the other patrons, to gauge her reaction to this behaviour, just in case I had misread hostility when there was none. The other patron looked as shocked as I felt.

Part of me wanted to say something like, "Yeah. I knew that was your dryer. That's why I purposely left my laundry cart in front of it. In fact, I wasn't even in here doing laundry, I was just in here specifically to put a laundry cart in your way, to inconvenience you, yes, you specifically."

I didn't though, because my statement would have been an effort to convince her that not every red light or stubbed toe was because someone else was so obsessed with her that they went out of their way to ruin her day, but had I said that, it probably would have contributed to her current self absorbed world view rather than forcing her to question it.

Of course that is an awful lot of assumptions to make on my part. I am assuming that people don't want to be the kind of person that shoves laundry carts at strangers, when in fact, this may have been working for years, cultivating that specific part of her personality as a trait she values and admires.


*we used to dry things at home, on lines we strung up in our living room. But then the house started molding, so we had to stop.

Lemming, Lemming, Lemming of the ADA

Apparently there is an American Decency Association (ADA - but not to be confused with the American Dental Association).

Upon the discovering of the existence of this organisation, I (of course) immediately looked up "American Indecency Association". It, unfortunately, doesn't exist. I think I want to rectify that.

On the ADA's home page it has the following statement: "In the last main session (sixth video) of the conference, Mr. Trueman and Mr. Ensley answer questions and discuss in detail not only why we must continue to battle pornography, but how we can battle pornography in our own back yards."

That got me giggling because I imagined a bunch of people in corduroys and turtleneck sweaters running around their back yards after artificially enhanced naked people, while waving crucifixes at them.

I am a fairly normal person and I lead a fairly normal life. I don't live inside a cult housing complex or on an Amish farm. Somehow though, I manage to avoid seeing pornography almost every day and I've managed to do this for most of my life. So how come these people are having to battle pornography every day?

Wine and arguments

I've eaten a lot of kale today. Kale with scrambled eggs and then kale with rice. My favourite way to eat it is with soy sauce and lemon juice.

***

Ryan is making croissants. We had a fight earlier because I feel like his enthusiasm on the search for a second dog has waned. Among his claims after I snarkily said, "Should I just stop looking? Because you don't seem to really want a second dog." was that it was hard to get excited about a dog on the internet. I'm not sure how he expects to find a dog. To me, the beauty of the internet is that we find a few dogs that fit our requirements and then go and look at them. I don't want to go to the SPCA once a week and feel miserable for hours afterwards. Among his other claims was that it was hard to walk two dogs on a leash.

I found both of those arguments thin.

He said, "How can I get excited about a picture of a dog on the internet?"

I replied, "I'm not asking you to get excited, I'm asking you to participate in the process of finding a second dog."

And it made me feel like one of those baby crazy women. It made me sympathise with those baby crazy women (shit!). I took a bath while I was still angry. I thought, if I ever decide that I absolutely want children, I'm going to have to have the same damn argument. This sort of thing is always going to be up to me.

***

Which drives me nuts!

***

As such, I'm still a bit angry. Maybe I'll have some wine. Maybe I'll buy a horse.

***

We bought wine on our trip around lake Cayuga. We only ever buy wine when we go wine tasting because of New York's inexplicable liquor laws: One cannot buy wine in a grocery store, only beer (as far as alcoholic beverages are concerned).

***

Jeeves is learning a new trick: turning the floor lamp on. He's not quite there yet, but he's getting it.

***

Email to my husband.

from: Alice
to: Ryan
date: Mon, Oct 19, 2009 at 10:54 AM
subject: You can't have a poodle.

I had a dream last night that we (including Jeeves) were wandering around in some big city. There were lots of stray dogs. There was a little brown dog that started following us around. You found a piece of twine and tied it to the dog and we brought it home - we were living in the big, nameless city in a 3 room apartment. All 3 rooms were living rooms and over filled with old, 70's-80's ish furniture. Things like dusty old futons with Indian wood cut print cover sheets loosely draped over them. There were lots of wood, lot of rugs and a large, old desktop computer. We were getting ready for a party. I was trying to find the new dog to show to some people only to discover another, different dog. This one was a gray miniature poodle cross. I found you and asked you where the brown dog was and you said you'd taken it back and found this one instead. I was furious with you. For one thing, I thought it was awful to bring the dog home and then just let it go and for another I did not want a poodle. I told you these things and you told me I didn't have any good reasons for not wanting a poodle, implying that it was just my snobbery. I started listing all the reasons I didn't want one - their hair doesn't stop growing, so you must cut it or have it cut, which costs money, they get really filthy and gross and need a lot of bathing, I didn't want small dogs...etc. You said that you would take charge of all the grooming and bathing. When you said that, I looked at the dog and it was wearing its hair in a little top knot held in place by a bow - which you had done to prove to me that you were going to do all the grooming necessary. I couldn't stop feeling awfully for the little brown dog and couldn't make you understand how reprehensible I thought 'replacing' it was.

The dream ended with me watching you play with the poodle on the floor and telling me I would grow to love it. At that point I could see that it wasn't all poodle, it had a bit of spaniel in it. And the more I looked at it, the more it looked like a black spaniel.

Sorrel Soup

From my mother:

The sorrel I have is perennial and has grown into a huge plant. I don't know how it stands up to snow and frost but it definitely grows in England. Though I never had it there, it was probably regarded as a poor persons food.

Ingredients:

A big bunch of sorrel leaves, stems trimmed off. Wash well.
Potato scrubbed but leave skin on. Chop into cubes and parboil or put in microwave for 4-5 minutes.
Bunch of spring onions chopped fine including greens
3 Cups of vegetable stock
2 tablespoons Olive oil
Nutmeg, salt & pepper

Heat oil, medium, add onions and sorrel leaves, stir and cook for three minutes till leaves turn bright green.

Add potato, vegetable stock, cook for about 6 minutes or until potato is fully cooked.

Grate in nutmeg

Leave to cool a bit and blend til smooth, return to pan to heat through if necessary.

Taste, add salt & pepper to liking.

It has it's own flavor and doesn't taste like anything else.
(The original recipe called for thickening with corn flour but I find potato does just as good a job.)

Oh I also added a large pinch of dry mint with the potato & veg stock.

How many uterus related arts and crafts projects can there be?

I've spent a lot of time on Etsy because I can find reasonably priced unique clothes that (most importantly!) fit me. I think the fitting me part is because when I buy vintage, it was usually made in a time when my size was closer to the average as opposed to the tiny people side of things.

I have, though, come across some really hideous items for sale and I'm very glad to say, someone finds them as hideous as I do.

My ex roommate Shawn passed this along:

www.regretsy.com

Enjoy!

Nonsense is good for you.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/06/health/06mind.html?em

Of course. If something was a little weird, and it turned out to be a
lion shoulder blade above the tall grass, one would have needed to
figure it out, right soon. We still need to be able to spot
unsettling things. "That's odd, I saw movement in the car. There
isn't supposed to be movement in the car. Aha! There is a man laying
in ambush in the backseat."

That's a neat article. Thanks for sending it to me. I hear the devil
calling, "Back on your heads!"
-Ryan