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Tuesday, March 6, 2012

A Failure

I once folded a pile of clean towels. 

Promptly, which was strange.  They usually sit in a heap on some unsuspecting surface -- couch; bed; bassinet -- until the surface is needed for a replacing load of darks or delicates.  But not this pile; it was folded while the towels still clung greedily to the dryer's warmth. 

And the way I fold towels is something to behold.  It takes a certain class of perfectionist to make sure no two blue towels are together, but that the growing tower of mismatched towels are in a sort of succession of color.  Blue, yellow, purple, white, blue, yellow, purple...

I'm very particular.  It's quite necessary.  I haven't figured out why, yet, but still. 

So this stack of warm, clean towels were folded.  On our love seat.  (Because if towels don't say love...)  Then, I did what any right-minded girl would do with such a stack.  I left them there.  Later in the afternoon, they were toppled during the daily seating-area-as-trampoline match-up: the preschooler in this corner, the kindergartner in this corner. 

Blame was placed.  Help was demanded.  Towels were fixed. 

I carried half of the stack to the front bathroom along with an assortment of fine washcloths.  The other half languished, cold and rumpled, in their regurgitated stack.  On the coffee table.  (Because if towels don't say kick your feet up...) 

The sun set.  The sun rose.  Twice.  (Then once more.)

The stack was in the way of a coloring sheet and plate of strawberries on the coffee table, and the linen closet was, perhaps, a few too many steps in the wrong direction.  So the stack was relocated, again.  To the back of the couch.  (Because if towels don't remind you of a stylish, knit throw on the sofa's rear...)

And as I sit here typing, the towels rebuke me.  They are growing flat with helplessness.  Any fluff of promise has departed along with my assertion of good housekeeping skills

If it weren't for the satisfaction of a nicely distributed color assortment (blue, yellow, blue, beige), I'd consider throwing the lot of them back into the dryer for another chance at perfection. 

As it is, I'll probably shuffle them to the ottoman.  That's at least seven steps closer to the linen closet. 

I certainly won't make any promises, though; I once folded a pile of clean towels, but the rest is up to fate.

13 comments:

  1. My clean folded laundry sits in baskets for days and days. I hate putting laundry away :o)

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  2. Julie - Me, too! I could wash and fold for days -- in fact, that's exactly what I DO -- but the putting away? Meh :)

    Good to know I'm not alone!!

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  3. I have to fold my towels in a certain way. Like you, it's quite necessary. If they're folded the "right way," they can languish on the couch for a looooooong time. =>

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    1. Oh! LOOK!! I have threaded comments!! Oh, my lord...I'm freaking out a little bit right now!! Please forgive me, dear Stacia --

      I'm SO glad to know that you have a towel folding formula. What IS it about a perfectly folded stack? Maybe, subconsciously, I wish to admire my work, therefore, hiding it in a linen closet is simply too painful.

      I'm sure that's it :)

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  4. You're a few steps ahead of me. It's folded. Wow. My piles are just piles of wrinkly-sadness. But, they are clean.

    I claim small victories.

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    1. Oh, I definitely have those piles too, Kate. For instance, the kids' loads are so full of TINYness -- tiny socks, tiny pants, tiny underwear -- that I frequently leave them in great heaps for days.

      And small victories are the best kind, I think :)

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  5. This post was so funny! (Because if towels don't say love...) And yes! Me too! Putting away laundry is the worst. I think we should all just live out of bins in the living room and forget all this nonsense about shelves.

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    1. Thank you, Em! Justin used to tease me when we were dating because he'd come to my house and in my bedroom, there was usually a stack of folded clothes sitting RIGHT NEXT to the closet. But then I teased him because his MOTHER did all of his laundry, and I figured we were even ;)

      So I'm totally on board with a no-putting-away rule.

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  6. So glad I'm not the only one who does this!

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    1. The good-company is comforting, isn't it? Ahhh...validation :)

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  7. True story:

    I've washed ALL of our clothes and blankets over and over since everyone got sick.

    Also true: Only 3 baskets made it to their respective areas.

    Another truth: the kid's basket is in the kids bathroom because the kids closet is pure chaos.

    Last truth: we're kindred spirits in the arena of laundry.

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    1. Sick laundry is THE WORST!! It's even more demanding than usual because you simply CAN'T not wash. But I'm glad you didn't put them away -- chances are you'd need extras again soon, right?

      And baskets? I like this idea. Laundry in baskets would seem so appropriate, whereas lonely piles dotted around the house could be construed as, I don't know...lazy? Certainly not by me, though ;)

      I love having you for a kindred :)

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Hmm...And how did that make you FEEL?