ACCUSED!

It had to happen one day. I've been accused of------------hanger theft!

Today was another Leaves of Learning day. Decided to take all my blankets and wash them while the boys were in school. It's a frigid cold day. We even saw some snow flurries this morning. I figured that a laundromat, with all the steam from the washers and dryers, would be the warmest place to wait until dismissal.

Guess half the city had the same idea as it was packed. I managed to find one jumbo washer for the blankets and another small washer. Carried everything in, got the washers going and then made a pit stop to the black laquered ladies room. As I came out, an older lady said something to me in a language I knew not. I was almost sure it was English, but with the crazed washer doing it's dance (not with MY clothes this time), I couldn't hear.

My standard reply in times such as these that require a polite answer are to smile BIG, nod and give a generic response such as, "I know, ha, ha, ha." She gave me an evil glare. My mind went over possible topics of laundromat coversation. Had I violated a remark about the weather? Insulted her children? Not agreed on a pet peeve such as what happens when one must drag the laundry out to the laundromat while a no good husband stayed home?

Hoping she would quit staring at me, I went to sit down. Big mistake. A few minutes later, she stalked over and said, "So, you saw who did it?"

My first reaction was, HUH?

Thankfully, she cleared up the confusion. "You saw who stole my hangers?"

"Your hangers, um, no. Were they taken?" Stupid question considering I'd laughed and told her I knew when she asked me the first time. "I must have misunderstood you." Clever comeback, I thought. "I thought you were talking about the lack of s0ap in the restroom. There is never any soap in there, did you notice?"

She looked at me as if I was clearly as deranged as she'd first thought and entirely capable of hanger theft. "Soap?"

"Yes, there is never any soap in the restroom. I thought that's what you were talking about. You say someone stole your hangers?"

"I had four hangers right here. Took a break with my sons and somebody made off with them."

She kept glaring as I went into details about how I'd JUST THEN ARRIVED and MINDED MY OWN BUSINESS, STARTING MY WASHERS. I lamented her loss. Sympathized that four hangers weren't safe anywhere these days. Still she kept her eye on me as if I planned to snatch her clothes from the dryer.

My only redemption came from the fact that I'm so totally disorganized, I never REMEMBER to bring hangers to the laundromat! Final proof that organization is highly overrated. My lack thereof probably saved me from a criminal record today.

The picture on top is what I want to see out my bedroom window. The top of my forsythia (or as my niece, Cindy, use to call it, 'the for Cynthia bush.') I want SPRING.