January 29, 2013
Welcome to our new arrival!
Life has changed forever in our home since the delivery of our newest household member on Saturday morning. Labour was a breeze, performed by two strong men who apparently carry appliances up rickety staircases and install them in attics all the time. And thereafter we fell upon gazing at it, unable to get over the beauty, the shine, the rocket-ship-ness. It plays music when its cycle is completed. Our previous washing machine was so old that when we asked our landlord to replace it, she reminisced that she’d used it to wash her kids’ diapers, and her kids are now in high school. Our old washer was Shirley Jackson eccentric, and it had a dial, but the label had worn off so we could never tell what the setting was, and there only seemed to be one setting anyway which mainly involved the washing machine dancing across the floor, and leaving the clothes inside not only not clean, but usually ripped. And don’t get me wrong–it was better than nothing. And certainly better, being close at hand, than the washing machines at the laundromat on Harbord Street which I’d frequented before we moved here, having to queue, and then remove other people’s manky underpants before using the machine for myself. But now this is a brand new washing machine, and it’s never known any manky pants but my own. When the clothes come out, they’re so clean you can feel it, and they’re nearly dry from the spin. And only a few months down the line, when I’m up to my ears in cloth diapers, will my love for this machine fully blossom. I’m almost excited about it. Almost.
Have I told you about my dream of laundry nirvana? Laundry nirvana is when every single article of clothing you own is clean at the same time. You can only achieve it when you have a washing machine in your own home, because of course you have to do laundry while naked so you are not in the process of dirtying any clothes by wearing them.
You should do this!!! For all of us who can’t, but dream!!!
For me, it doesn’t require being naked, but happens when all the hanging laundry has been taken down and put away. When there are no damp clothes hanging up in my bedroom. And thanks to our new washing machine’s amazing spin cycle, it’s possible that this might happen quite often. Well, until at least until the baby is born…
I just bought two sets of front-loading washers and dryers for a rental property we bought. Meanwhile, I’m using the same clunky old set we’ve had for nine years (and which has lived in our house since gawd knows when). I have appliance envy.
I never knew what appliance envy was (or would have figured it belonged to the type of people who had quarter-life crises) until my friends started buying houses. I never lament not being a home-owner, but their appliances set me longing. I feel better now.