We've had dozens of lovely spring days by now, so I'd cherished hopes today of hanging my laundry out to dry on the line, where it would merrily bob next to the blossom-laden cherry tree, above the bright stands of daffodils and tulips, and near the pear and apple trees that are just about to explode into flower themselves.
But, alas, it was raining all day. And so I hung my clean, wet washing on various radiators around the home, making the usual mental calculation to figure who'd be entering by the front door and if it was safe to hang underwear there. Yet a shift has occurred within me...I no longer mind this task! This is definitely a change, as previous entries here, here and here all attest.
I didn't realize how English I'd become in this regard--proud to save energy by hanging up laundry instead of using a dryer--until I read this excellent feature in National Geographic's March issue about saving energy at home. It's long but full of great advice. If you don't have time to read it, just look at this photo. I will note, however, that one of the families who undertakes the energy-saving challenge in the article decides to go back to using their dryer after all, because they have 3-year-old twins and do 15 loads of laundry a week! Sounds like a good plan to me.
Ah, home sweet home. I read your comment, Tom, with the deepest of envy as I try again and again to pass the horrible hazard perception test on my practice software. Who invented this particular torture device? I drove for years in Chicago traffic without accident or even incident, so surely I can't be as inept with hazards as it tells me I am!
My learning-to-drive experience was the other way around. I learned in the U.K. and had to get re-licensed here, in the States, many years later. My U.S. "test" involved literally driving around the block from the license branch and back again. I guess the DMV person wanted to make sure I didn't still drive on the "wrong side" of the road.