Smarter Things
I'll be the first to admit that new appliances are VERY exciting. It's been a little over a year since our washer died in magnificent fashion right smack in the middle of a pandemic. It was at that stage in the pandemic when going to stores and casually hanging out seemed like a terrible idea, but hanging out at a laundromat was an even more terrible idea, so I ended up buying a fancier than necessary washer. And dryer.
I don't know. I think maybe you're allowed to buy one with the other? Maybe? But our dryer had died a few times previous to that day in a way that was fixable, and it seemed to already be living on borrowed time. So both. They both got replaced in a flurry of sight-unseen-what-can-be-delivered-immediately internet shopping.
In retrospect, I'd like to thank the washer for dying that day. Prices on some household electonics have sky-rocketed with the supply chain issues that are going on. That particular washer is now nearly $500 more expensive.
ANYWAY. I fully admit that while I had no intention of buying new appliances last year, it was still a little exciting. Because new toys. Welcome to adulthood! The most exciting thing that can happen on a Friday night is that you go to Target alone, spending money on appliances feels like a special treat, and the Werther's are over on the shelf.
My excitement, however, is NOTHING compared to Mila's. That girl finds joy in all of the places. One of her hobbies is to literally sit on the dryer and watch the washer do its job. Seriously. It has a clear lid and that kid sits and watches clothes spin all of the time.
I caught her doing it again tonight. She had tie dyed a t-shirt at camp and it was in the washer doing its best to hold on to its color while getting cleaner. Mila was sitting there gleefully watching it spin. I stopped and looked at the child with my judgiest of judgey looks because SERIOUSLY. DO SOMETHING PRODUCTIVE WITH YOUR TIME, CHILD.
Or, you know, don't. Because kid. Kids don't always have to be productive.
Regardless, Mila, upon seeing my glare, cheerfully patted the top of the dryer and said, "Come on up! You'll feel happier if you sit with me and watch the washer."
She wasn't wrong.