During those three days of wet, Mother Nature shouted, “THE AUTUMN DOTH APPROACH! DO NOT BE CAUGHT OUT LIKE YOU WERE LAST YEAR WITHOUT PROPER ATTIRE FOR YOUR CHILDREN, YOU IRRESPONSIBLE COW!” Mother Nature can be such a whore. So, I did some damage online and prepared for the temperature snap that will hit us all unawares.
Socks. How I loathe socks. I think I despise them so much because I’m the laundress of the household, and socks are such a waste of time and space. If we lived in a hot climate, I would have no socks and an entire drawer available to me for tank tops or fancy lingerie or secret things. But what’s more, I wouldn’t have to sort, match or fold ever again. I wonder how many hours I would get back if I tallied all the time it has taken me to sort socks over the years. I wonder how many hours I would get back if I stopped thinking about the amount of time wasted over socks. Writing this entry alone could have given me the time needed to, well, write another blog entry.
Every season, I lose countless single socks breaking up perfectly happy pairs. How long do I keep these abandoned singles before I come to terms with the fact that their mates will never return? And now, I have kids with similarly sized feet, so I have to pay close attention to which socks belong to whom lest I inadvertently end up binding Asher’s feet with Levi’s socks.
Don’t worry. I DO hear myself. I’m out of my mind over socks. That’s how much I loathe those cotton tubes of torture.
And, in a fit of madness I broke down and did the unthinkable. For years, I’ve thought of buying them. For years, I imagined what a difference they would make in my laundering life if only I had them. I resisted. But then, I caved. I’m officially my father and owner of a collection of sock holders. What’s next, pocket protectors? No, it’s not as bad as all that primarily because I don’t wear shirts with pockets. But I do have my eye on some Earpops.
I know that sock holders will not eradicate all that I dread about winter. Pale skin, eating my body weight - at every one of the 5 meals I manage to consume, short days and cold, long nights. We have one more last hurrah weekend to go this Labor Day. The weather forecast indicates cooler temperatures but still warm enough to call it summer. I will not be packing socks.
my solution to the missing sock dilemma (well apart from being ok wearing socks of a different color) was to buy exactly the same socks over and over. Costco has a great bag of white sport sock, and amazingly enough they always have the same brand. Thus insuring you always have a match... simple right?
ReplyDeleteI started running and have bought those small tennis-like ankley socks thinking they're be easier to find/match/wear/mainttain sock sanity.
ReplyDeleteThey don't.
It's like our socks are punishing us for making them dizzy.
I came here to say what Kim says.
ReplyDeleteOn the first day of every new season, everyone in my house gets a new bag of white socks and 4-6 pairs of dark dress socks.
Also, in case of child-foot mashups, a sharpie does a great job at writing an initial over the toe. I learned that in college when my roommate liked to steal my socks.
For the dark ones, you can do what my grandma did for her sons. It takes a little work, but a colored thread sewn somewhere (cuff or toe) into each one of a person's sock stash keeps them separate
I should have asked for advice before I got the dern sock holders.
ReplyDeleteI'm into the initial on the toe of my Costco whites! Great idea!! The boys will love that, too. I know I'll never follow through on the bit of thread, but luckily I've got sock holders for those. I mean, I don't want my purchase to be a total loss.
The socks are definitely punishing us-for being dizzy AND for having to live on our feet.
I hate socks too! It's one of the things I hate the most about Fall. But I usually just shut my mouth about it because someone will inevitably say how they LOVE Fall, and how warm wooly socks are so comforting... bla, bla, bla. And then, yes, there's all the damn matching. The sockholders look great, but who puts them ON the socks? Is the wearer required to put the sockholder on the dirty socks before they go into the hamper? Or is this a chore for the laundress - which would require pre-laundry matching and somewhat defeat the purpose?
ReplyDeleteIf you recall way back to 1996-1997, you owned a pair of Earpops so you would not mess up your 'do. Ahhhhh, sweet memories.
ReplyDeleteI also buy the same socks so if one dies I can just wait until another one dies and still have socks
ReplyDeleteyes, 'tis i who would sock-holder the socks. i'd rather take the time going into the wash than on the other side. that way, it's a few pair each day as opposed to a mess of socks in each load. i might draw the line at uber smelly socks.
ReplyDeletei did own a pair of pops once upon a time. perhaps there is a reader out there who will out herself as having introduced them to me. and yes, i wanted to avoid hat head. still do.
who knew there were so many of us with sock strategies?
I am learning so much from all of you! Socks have bothered me for longer than I care to say, and I don't even have the excuse of small children with similar-sized feet. I have had the orphan living in the corner of a drawer yearning for its mate syndrome going on only to toss the poor orphan and fin the mate a day later. But now I have suggestions that could change my life! Thank you, everyone.
ReplyDeleteAh, the magic of the blogosphere.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was about to give birth to child #1, my friends took bets as to whether or not I would give birth wearing socks. I love socks THAT much.
ReplyDeleteAnd DID YOU, Vicki?
ReplyDelete