It is a coincidence that I contracted the flu yesterday, just hours after a library copy of Breaking Dawn — the fourth and final book of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series — fell into my hands. The fact that it is also a weekend (which means I don’t have to feel the guilt associated with staying in bed for two days in a row, sucking down grape juice, popping pills and reading the 754-page tome) is just one more bonus but, yes, it is still a coincidence. If my weekend were a recipe it would require the following ingredients: one part restlessness, two parts reading machine, and four parts cat bed, since the three felines have apparently decided either that sleeping on The Couch of Death is passé or that I am more generously padded than said couch. (And, let’s face it, the latter is probably true.) The past two days have also been comprised of stoic suffering and an attempt to be a pillar of strength in the face of adversity. (How am I doing so far?) Also, I’ve been watching way too many Vlogbrothers videos.
This means difficult times are ahead for our house. Remember that vacation I just took? The California one that not only necessitated camping supplies, beachwear and winter clothes (since, hello, San Francisco is really cold in the summer) but also a full conference wardrobe and makeup? Well, since Thursday was a catch-up day (which mysteriously did not include unpacking) and Friday was a work day, my bags have spent the past several days sitting in my bedroom, conveniently located at an angle guaranteed to make hubs trip if he should get up in the middle of the night. And since moving makes my skin hurt when I’m sick, unpacking isn’t going to happen this weekend, either.
The good news is that I can’t procrastinate forever because my work wardrobe is severely limited while most of my favorite clothes are wrinkling inside a garment bag. So what’s the holdup, other than my schedule, my symptoms, and too many meds? Laundry. Because all those suitcased clothes are destined for a good washing. It is ridiculous to hate doing laundry. I have it so easy compared to anybody else in the history of the universe. For one thing, I have machines to do it. For another, said machines are located in my kitchen, which is just down the hall from a closet that houses a large stash of empty hangers. Also, long ago I made it a policy to never buy anything that requires an iron. And, finally, it’s a weekend, so I can stick around to change over loads. See? Not a big deal. Except it kind of is somehow. So while I feel like an over-entitled gen-X middle-class American whiner for saying that I hate to do laundry, well, there it is.
As for writing about the trip itself, well, I stink at trip reports. I usually find them boring to write, and if I’m bored, you definitely will be. The good news is that you have lots of options if you want to know what hubs and I were up to. For one thing, I’ve already processed many of the 950+ photos from our trip and uploaded them to my phlog. (Phlog = photoblog.) So as a bonus not only do you get visuals, but I also have inane little paragraphs captioning them. The first picture is, predictably enough, of the Golden Gate Bridge. The next one, which is much cuter and lacking both the color orange and any sign of motor vehicles, will be up on Monday. Until then, this link probably won’t work. New photos up every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from now until my photos, the internet, or I end.
And if your nosiness concerns the conference I attended in San Francisco, you could revisit the links given in the previous post or the blogs belonging to the lovely and talented Alyson Noel, the vivacious and scarily elusive Melissa Blue, and the super-sweet Melina Kantor, all of whom I also had the pleasure of meeting at RWA and with whom I wish I’d had the chance to spend a lot more time. By now some of them have probably addressed the conference more thoroughly than I. Either way, their blogs are still worth the visit.
Disappointed by my reticence? Fine. If you have a specific question about our vacation, put it in the comments and I might answer it. Unless, you know, you want me to just write about the whole thing, in which case I earn a free pass to ignore you. And if there are no questions then I’m off the hook, so yippee.
Sorry you’re not well, Caryn! I too hate laundry, but must admit I’m insanely jealous of your on-site facilities. I like to think I wouldn’t hate doing it so much if I had machines in-house, but it’s probably not true. Luckily for me, Ryan enjoys (is that possible???) doing laundry, so he usually does mine. Strangely, I often have boyfriends who are far more domestic than I am, so this isn’t the first time. Maybe we should come for a visit???? I wish!
Caryn, now that you put the historical perspective on laundry my guilt has quadrupled for hating it so much. And to sound really ancient, my grandmother had a wringer washer, one she had to crank herself, so, yeah, more guilt over hating the laundry.
Perhaps in the Jetson age we, too, could have a washer and dryer that folds and puts away the clothes afterward.
Sorry to hear you’re ill. Just goes to show you that a lot of people were sneezing over that library book. Makes me think twice about taking one out, which I do often because I spend WAY too much at Borders.
Get well soon!
I hope you are able to pry yourself from the couch of death soon; not that laundry provides much incentive. With all the lovely gadgets that have been created – including a lawn mower that mowes the lawn for you – why has no one created a do-it-itself laundry system that dumps the clothes from the washer to the dryer and then plucks them nicely fluffed and neatly folds them for you? While you are stuck on the couch, know that we’ve been enjoying the UTube recommendations. I am proud to say that John of the Vlogbrothers and I are both Kenyon College Alumns. Thanks for the blog comments today. I don’t work tomorrow so look for another posting!
Wow, Susan! Now I feel a lot better. Let’s see, we got back on Wednesday and today is Monday, so…
Thanks, Brandy! And three loads? That’s so much!
Keri, I’ll give that some thought and slip it into a post. Already a few things are coming to mind.
Thanks, Robin! I’d definitely recovering, but I’m not all better yet, either. At least I could get up and go to work today, so that’s something. I tried not to breathe on anyone.
Nonetheless, Conda, that’s a LONG time! Now I’m feeling a whole lot better.
Okay, Pam, now you’ve got me blushing. You were the terrific, prepared one there to network like a fiend. It was inspiring just to watch you in action.
Jen, check your email!
Kath, I’m so with you on wanting something that can fold and put away clothes. That’s the part I really dislike. As for where my flu came from, I actually think it was from the day we went to Six Flags Magic Mountain outside of L.A. Lots of kids there in close quarters. It would make sense with the timing, too. And sometimes it was hard to find bathrooms to wash our hands frequently, like before eating.
Thanks, Mountainink! And I so wish someone would do a whole do-it-yourself laundry system. Think it’s because guys usually get stuck mowing the lawn while women get stuck doing laundry? Maybe if the roles were reversed we’d see different advances in the technology. Or you could just invent something and get rich *and* become everyone’s hero! That’s my vote.
Oh yes, those early washing machines were an improvement over banging clothes with rocks or sticks, but not by much.
Scary looking things too – I bogged on early washing machines if you want to check out what our grandmothers or great-grandmothers had to deal with.
http://ilanastephens.com/2008/06/10/its-an/
Still, I think the laundry takes more time than mowing the lawn (unless you’ve got a man hell bent on approximating a golf course).
Oh, Caryn, SO sorry to hear about the flu… Hope this message finds you feeling much, much better.
As for laundry, I sympathize. Since we had to leave on another trip almost immediately after returning from SF, I’ve collected quite a mountain of unwashed clothes. When we finally get back home, I’m going to sleep for a few days and then, when the right mood strikes, I’ll break out the chocolate chai, blast some ’80s favorites (REO Speedwagon’s “You Can Tune A Piano But You Can’t Tuna Fish,” maybe??!) and THEN turn on the washing machine… Clearly, laundry requires some silly props in our household.
Oh, and as for your overuse of parentheses (and your taking of SF photos), I don’t think you did either to excess. (Of course, I’m a fan of both. 🙂 )
Wow, I’m late to the sick room. I hope by now you’re feeling better and the laundry gnomes have handled the suitcase for you!
I hate laundry too and I have it easy by NY standards (I actually have a washer and dryer in the apartment). Hope you’re feeling better!
Hope you feel better!
Great link, Ilana! It does make me feel a little better.
Marilyn, if you have to unpack that sounds like the way to do it! After all, might as well make it fun — or, at least, as fun as possible.
Thanks, Katie! I am feeling much, much better. Now I’m just hungry, but that’s easy to remedy. 🙂
Thanks, Joanne! And, yes, it’s so much easier when it’s onsite, isn’t it?
Thank you, David! I am. 🙂