Those Damnable Coathangers. Or No Good Deed Goes Unpunished.
No good deed goes unpunished.
Sounds cynical.
Maybe it’s more like,
No good deed goes remembered by the menopausal mind.
That’s it.
It’s just that I got tired of seeing those bent up, pent up coat hangers by the trashcan. Trying to cram their mangled selves into the plastic liner.
Makes me CRAZY.
So when I saw the hanger recycling container on a trip to the cleaners, I was all on it.
No more feeling guilty for throwing away all those coat hangers.
Not exactly sure who this new person was — one so concerned about infesting our landfills with bent wire, but I was committed.
On a mission of renewal for my bent-up self and the coat hangers, I told my husband, “no more bending the hangers and cramming them in trash cans. We are recycling them.”
As I proclaimed, so it became.
As the pile of discarded coat hangers on the closet floor grew, I came up with a plan. Store the hangers in the trunk of my car so they would always be with me when I went to the cleaners.
So darn proud of my organized, recycling self. Behavior worthy of a 10,000-daily-pageview-Recycling-Blogger for pity’s sake.
Until I actually got to the cleaners and dropped off the hangers.
So proud. Slightly superior.
Walking inside, I deposited the dirty clothes on the counter. I paid for the clean and pressed shirts waiting for me starched and pressed in clear plastic.
The drive home I dare say was tinged with euphoria.
Got out of the car.
The realize I left the clean clothes hanging on the hook at the dry cleaners.
AAARRRGGGHHHH!!!
Not so bad you say? What if it happens — over and over and over.
Each trip to the dry cleaners.
This afternoon, I got out of the car after dropping off my dirty clothes, handing over my old hangers and paying for my purty clean clothes.
Back home, I looked at the back seat and realized once again my clothes were still on the hanger back at the cleaners.
I did not say AAARRRGGGHHHH!!!
I said some very, very bad words, very, very loudly. The kind of loud words and volume that make shadows dance back and forth behind the neighbors’ window panes.
Getting back in the car, I thought time for some therapy. Why, oh why this forgetting?
Heck if I know.
I’ve even forgotten why I started this post.
Do you recycle coat hangers? If not, you might better let sleeping coat hangers lie in the trashcan.
Hahahahaha! My bent-up self has managed to forget the clothes at the cleaners despite having no good deed to commit and not even being menopausal! Thanks for making me feel better…kinda. 🙂
I think it’s because I’m used to her putting the clothes in back of car for me at drive thru. When I started going in that’s when all the trouble started.
What an incredibly good girl you are–recycling all those hangers….and making me laugh out loud on a Saturday morning. So you’re a little forgetful; we can’t be perfect.
Yay for making you laugh on a Saturday. I’ve spent mine outside and freezing at a track meet. I’ll have to laugh about it later. 🙂
Perhaps you could put the hangers in the back seat so that she could collect them when you go through the drive thru?
Or, this might be your new routine. 🙂
xo
Yes Jani. The plan’s fatal is that I leave the vehicle. My brain must stay behind.
Hi Jamie,
Thanks for your funny post. This is so easy to do – when we add something new to do, I think a routine action pops out of our brain!
Hangar recycling reminds me of Dallas’ new plastic bag law.
This year stores ask if you would like bags & there’s a 5 cent tax. Oh the guilt of saying yes!! Remembering reusable bags is still a challenge for me!
Oh Liz — many hugs across the miles. And my sister-in-law has filled me in on the shame of not using cloth bags since she moved to Austin.
Oh jamie I cannot tell you how this made me smile. Sorry. However, it is my life. My brain is a sieve these days. If only I could remember something similar – I have a war chest full of examples – yet nothing comes to mind right now. However – do rest assured. You are not alone in the forgetful department. I used to think it was because I “was so busy.” However with my two now across the country at different colleges I can’t really use that excuse anymore.
But I will say – I always forget to bring my recyclable bags with me when I food shop.
I often have trouble recalling children’s names. My own children. Kind of takes the authority out of discipline when you can’t seem to come up with a correct name. Ugh.