I'm an addict.
I swore I'd only do it once. But it was SO GOOD.
I've spent my Christmas money on it, and started dipping into my savings.
You see, a couple weeks ago, E was out of town, and I was feeling blue. My blueness wasn't helped by the fact that due to Christmas preparations, Sophie and I had literally worn every item of clothing we own, twice. The laundry mountain had become a mountain range. I cracked.
I packed the whole thing into garbage bags and took it to the laundry mat in town that has a wash and fold service.
Just a few hours later, and I was presented with clean clothes. Clean clothes I didn't clean. Folded clothes. Folded clothes I didn't fold. Shirts. On hangers. All for 80 cents a pound.
Today I looked at the laundry mountain and began to shake. The jones became stronger and stronger. The next thing I knew, I had SNEAKED the laundry past E, out the front door and into the car where, on some trumped up excuse (had to by batteries I think), I delivered it to the washers and folders. I picked it up this evening--opened the bag to a pile of fresh smelling and expertly folded clothing, and the high was excruciatingly intense. Now though, the guilt is eating at me. 80 cents a pound sounds cheap--but clothes are heavy. I simply can't afford to have other people do my wash for me. I have a perfectly good washer and dryer sitting empty in my basement. Who am I to think other people should wash my dirty socks?
But now that I've done it, it's going to be so hard to quit.
Today's best thing about being a mom:
Soph was playing with her friend B in her room today. I totally eavesdropped on their conversation. It's so fun to hear her orchestrate the play with someone other than me.
Today's worst thing about being a mom:
Finding an egg--cracked open mind you--in the play kitchen that had been there FOR SOME TIME!
7 comments:
Holy shit! You know I've thought about it but never actually done it because I would have to take out a second mortgage just to complete my family's laundry.
I hope it's not a hard habit to break. I wish there was some laundry 12 step, or even something like weight watchers where we can all sit around and bitch about laundry. Oh my bad there is, it's the instant messenger and a closed laundry room door.
Sell your washer and dryer to fund your habit!!
OOOHH! How luxurious! I'm SO jealous. I could understand how it would be too tempting after you'd experienced the convenience of it. It's like the one time I had my legs waxed at a salon. I think about it all the time and then I have to remind myself how expensive it was and have to talk myself back down. Wishing you a speedy recovery and the occasional relapse.
How about as a once a month, or once a quarter luxury?
It's probably not practical on a regular basis, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't treat yourself.
I with the beige one. Only with my indulgence filter set on "extremely low", I'd be dropping OTHER people's laundry off, just for the high you get upon opening the bag...
Ahh, the recklessness of youth!
If you factor in the cost of detergent and fabric softener, and add in your hourly wage x the number of hours it takes to wash and fold your family's laundry, you should be able to rationalize your addiction pretty easily.
I've never done the wash and fold, but I've always wanted to. in my days of laundromat-visitation, I would see the signs for the wash and fold service, and at first I thought I had to have misunderstood what it meant, for surely no one would charge by the pound for laundry to be washed AND folded.
just wait - when sophie grows up (or when janzen is around) "kids' chores" turns into "wash and fold". of course, the folds aren't so great. but still, I didn't have to fold them.
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