Loads Of Fun

I really should be folding laundry right now... but I had a blog to write. There are several loads, four I think, just waiting. They’ve been waiting a while so a little longer won’t matter, right? Hope not, ’cause I have a blog to write.

So, why do I have laundry waiting? Well, because my wife didn’t do it. Seriously. But then again, neither did I. (I’m not really that mean of a guy). While my wife does do most of the laundry, she is a busy woman. Very busy. Sometimes, (a lot of the time, actually) other things are more pressing than the laundry. So, I try to help. Not just with the laundry but other chores as well. Not nearly as often as I should, but occasionally—when I think of it anyway. Hey, I’m a busy person too!

This past weekend was busier than usual for us; we had three parties to attend, birthdays and retirement, as well as other things to do, so not all of the household chores got done. So, here it is Sunday night, it’s just the two of us, she’s sleeping and I’m the only one up. Well, me and the dogs but so far, they haven’t offered to help. So, I decided I would fold the laundry, all four loads. But first, I needed to write a blog.

But then, now that I think about it, perhaps I shouldn’t fold any of it at all. Because my wife did have some time that she could have spent doing it. Instead, she chose to, well, play games apparently.

My son was visiting this weekend and he brought along some laundry. He does his own, he just takes advantage of the opportunity to use our washer and dryer when he visits because Laundromats are expensive. He had a few loads that were done but not folded—being a normal guy, he doesn’t see any reason to fold the laundry—and while he was out visiting friends, my wife “helped” him out. Now, I mentioned he does his own laundry. That is by choice; he doesn’t really want his mother to do it. In fact, he would actually prefer she NOT do it. So, just to bug him a little, and being a typical mom, she folded his clothes.

Yes, he was duly agitated when he returned and saw his basket with the neatly folded clothes. “Mom folded my laundry,” he said with a shake of his head and just a hint of disgust. “Why would she do that?”

“She’s your mom,” I said.

That didn’t satisfy him and seeing our overflowing baskets, I could almost read his mind as he wondered why she would fold his clothes and not hers and mine. For a minute, I thought he might dump the clothes and unfold them but I’m sure he realized that would be pointless. Although, he did make sure to tell her what he thought about it.

Of course, his complaints fell on deaf ears. Well, not entirely deaf ears. She did smile and laugh. I think it made her happy to fold his clothes again, even if it did irk him.

I considered telling him he would understand when he was a mom but somehow I don’t see that happening. I think it’s more likely my dogs will start helping with the chores.

Okay, blog’s done. I’m off to fold the laundry now. ~

Bruce A. Borders is the author of more than a dozen books, including: Inside Room 913, Over My Dead Body, The Journey, Miscarriage Of Justice, and The Wynn Garrett Series. Available in ebook at www.amazon.com/Bruce-A.-Borders/e/B006SOLWQS and paperback on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Books-a-Million. Bruce A. Borders is a proud member of Rave Reviews Book Club.

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'Tis The Shopping Season

Had the extreme misfortune to visit a department store this week. Why didn’t someone warn me it was Christmas time? I usually make it a point to avoid stores this close to the holiday. This was sure to try my patience.

I knew I’d made a mistake when I pulled into the parking lot. There were about twenty-five vehicles all circling, like a school of piranhas; waiting to pounce on the first available space as if it were dinner. I joined them—only until I could get back to the exit.

But I still needed to go into the store, so I parked at a nearby fast food restaurant and walked. That got me in the store but did nothing to help me navigate the crowded aisles. And by crowded, I mean packed; like sardines in a can. Only these sardines were moving—and pushing carts—and talking. Which meant most of them were not paying attention.

You’d think nearly everyone pushing a cart would also be a licensed driver, especially considering the million or so cars I’d dodged in the parking lot outside. But that assumption, logical though it may be, tends to give a guy a false sense of security. Apparently, the rules of the road do not apply to shoppers, and neither does common sense. These crazy people were running into each other, running into displays, and creating general mayhem with no regard for human life; most notable, mine. It was truly a madhouse.

Meanwhile, I’m just trying to get to the back of one aisle and then elude the frenzied mob on my way to the check out line. And I do mean line, as in a LONG line. Several of them, in fact.

With nothing better to do, aside from my never-ending to-do list, I waited—patiently. And waited—almost patiently. And then waited some more. I didn’t time it, so I’m not sure how long I waited. All I know is, I was late for work and I don’t even have a set time to be there!

Eventually, I did escape, and now I shall refrain from shopping until after Christmas.

So, what was so important that I just had to brave the raging tide of shoppers? Laundry soap. Seems after catching up on all the laundry due to the washer fiasco at my house (See last week’s blog) we were out. And for some reason, my wife thinks we need clean clothes to wear! Now you see why I was so “patient” at the store—got to keep the woman happy!

Merry Christmas!

Bruce A. Borders is the author of more than a dozen books, including: Inside Room 913, Over My Dead Body, The Journey, Miscarriage Of Justice, and The Wynn Garrett Series. Available in ebook and paperback on iTunes, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Diesel Books, and Smashwords, or at www.bruceabordersbooks.weebly.com. Amazon Profile - http://www.amazon.com/Bruce-A.-Borders/e/B006SOLWQS. Bruce A. Borders also serves as the Vice President of Rave Reviews Book Club.

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Breaking News

Enjoyed a stay-at-home vacation last week—pretended I was rich and didn’t have to go to work. Really, I had a pretty full schedule of things I wanted to get done. But, as is usually the case, things don’t always cooperate.

The very first day, the washer broke and we had loads of laundry. I took it apart, trying to find what was wrong. After several hours I couldn’t find anything, so my wife and I went shopping. We almost bought a new one too, but when the lady at the store started backtracking on the advertised deal, my aversion to salesmen kicked in and I said, “No thanks.”

We went back home, without a washer, and I started looking for a good deal on the computer. Salesmen tend to do that to me; make me want to buy everything online. During my Internet travels, I came across a question and answer site for appliances, and there on the top was a guy saying he thought his door lid switch was bad. A light bulb suddenly turned on in my head!

I don’t know why I hadn’t thought to check the switch, but for some reason I hadn’t. Instead, I’d gone right to taking the whole thing apart.

Suspending my Internet activity, I went to test the switch and sure enough that was the problem. So for once, a pesky salesman, actually saved me money!

A quick Google search told me a new switch would cost me about thirty dollars plus shipping. Well, I didn’t feel like paying that much for a simple switch, (and waiting a week or so for it to be delivered) so, I just bypassed it. Took all of five minutes. And, it was free!

I know, for all of you safety minded people, the door switch is a vital and critical part of the washing machine! If you can’t tell, that last sentence was heavily laced with sarcasm. Washers worked fine for years without the door switch. If we need to turn it off, there’s a dial within easy reach—push it in and, like magic, the washer shuts off. Besides, bypassing the switch was a lot less work than replacing it.

But then, I had to put the rest of the washer back together. Figuring we were going to need a new one, I hadn’t bothered to reassemble anything, just left it sitting there in the laundry room in pieces.

Well, if you’ve ever worked on a washer, you know they don’t go back together quite as easily as they come apart. Four hours. That’s how long it took to get it ready to use. All in all, I’d spent somewhere around six hours taking it apart and then putting it back together. Had I checked the switch first, I could have saved myself a LOT of time! Good thing I was on vacation!

All is well that ends well, as the saying goes. The washer works. The laundry is caught up. And, some of the stuff I wanted to work on, I got done. But not all. Probably because I spent too much time on a washer! And now, it’s back to work. Maybe on my next vacation, I can fix the dryer!

Bruce A. Borders is the author of more than a dozen books, including: Inside Room 913, Over My Dead Body, The Journey, Miscarriage Of Justice, and The Wynn Garrett Series. Available in ebook and paperback on iTunes, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Diesel Books, and Smashwords, or at www.bruceabordersbooks.weebly.com. Amazon Profile - http://www.amazon.com/Bruce-A.-Borders/e/B006SOLWQS. Bruce A. Borders also serves as the Vice President of Rave Reviews Book Club.

______________________________

RAVE REVIEWS BOOK CLUB

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Laundry In The Good Old Days

Every so often on Facebook, people post a picture of something from days gone by that says “Like” if you know what this is. Recently, I saw one of an old wringer type washer. Actually, it was not that old I guess, since it had an electrical cord attached. Somehow, an electric wringer washer just seems less authentic - at least to me.

Not only did I know what was in the picture, I’ve helped my grandmother do laundry on one of them - without a cord. Ah, those were the good old days! Back when every single article of clothing received its own special care and treatment - all the time and attention that each deserved. Of course, laundry took all day and it was an awful amount of work.

Doing laundry with a wringer washer actually required the presence of the one doing the laundry. Back then, there was no starting a load and running off to do something else. These days, when the clothes are put into the washer - a dial is turned and you can walk away and forget it. And then, when the load is done another three minutes of work is required to start the next load - after placing the clothes into the dryer, and pushing another button. That’s another aspect of laundry that is much easier these days - drying the clothes.

Oh, hey! I wonder how come whoever posted the picture of the wringer type washer, didn’t include a dryer from the same era? Maybe they just didn’t think it was important. Or, they might have worried the two wouldn’t have been a matching set. Or, perhaps they simply didn’t have a picture of such a dryer. But I do. I’ve posted it below. Maybe I’ll put it on Facebook, with a caption that reads, “Like” if you know what this is.

Bruce A. Borders, author and songwriter, has over 500 songs and more than a dozen books. Over My Dead Body, The Journey, and Miscarriage Of Justice, his latest books, are available on Apple I-Pad®, Amazon Kindle®, Barnes & Noble Nook® and Sony Reader®, Kobo, Diesel Books, and Smashwords. Now also available in print at many online retailers or at www.bruceabordersbooks.weebly.com. The popular Wynn Garrett Series Books are now available on Barnes And Noble® at http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/?series_id=867526 See Bruce’s Smashwords Profile at www.smashwords.com/profile/view/BruceABorders