Ruth's Adventures - Snake Sweep

It began as an ordinary evening. I came home to my little apartment from teaching my 21 little second graders all day. I ate a rather mundane dinner because cooking for one - well - just bites. The inevitable pile of laundry was unfortunately calling my name so I slipped on my scrubs and added my work clothes to the pile. My phone rang and for a moment I was blissfully distracted by the voice of my tall and handsome man calling from Michigan. Well, reality again shouted that time was not reproducing itself while I chatted and laughed. So, I told him about my laundry plan for the night and we hung up so we could continue in a few minutes.

I lugged my rubbermaid tub over to the long shared laundry/storage room. I unlocked the storage locker that holds my detergent and quarter supply. As I'm dumping in half of the pile, I look down and notice a tail sticking out from under the washer. My heart races. I bend down and almost laugh out loud. A rubber snake tail. Haha nice joke people! I'm not dumb enough to fall for that. I shut the washer lid and go back to my apartment.

We chat again and laugh and before I know it. Darn. It's time to switch the wash to the dryer. So we hang up. I go into the laundry room again. Hmm. The tail is gone. Ha. That's right, go prank someone else Mr. Jokester. Ah well. Get those quarters out. Slide them in. One more load to go and I'm done!

Oh wait. The tail is under the dryer. No. It can't be. I look around - no one. I glance over to the recycle pile and spot a long piece of cardboard. I'm shaking so badly by this point that I can hardly hold it still. My plan is to poke the tail in question. I'm praying it doesn't move because I don't know what I'll do if it does. Just as I'm about to poke it, the outer door opens. I drop the cardboard like a hot potato and run for the laundry door. I open it only to stare at Creepy Guy from the 2nd floor. He looks at me and I summon everything in me to ask him to come check something for me. Creepy Guy follows me into the laundry room and I point at the tail under the dryer. I'm babbling by this point. Between Creepy Guy and the Tail - I'm freaked out.

Never in a million years did I ever expect what happened next...

Creepy Guy picks up the tail which, it turns out, was a whole snake. As he does so, the body curls around his hand and he kisses and croons saying, "Oh Pooky Pooky, I have missed you so much!".  He then tells me how his little feller was missing for a few weeks.

Yes. Oh yes. That snake was indeed real and was evidently quite infatuated with the heat coming from the dryer which was why it rejected it's owners apartment for it's new cozy spot.

I finish my laundry and go back to my apartment for my very belated return call to Michigan. I relay the entire story complete with the appropriate hysteria and Mike just laughs and laughs. He was glad I was okay, but he said, "You gotta admit, that is one funny story!".  After the fact, yes, I can definitely see the humor. But while I was scared out of my mind... not so much.

Anyway, you can be sure I never went in that laundry room without a full and complete corner to corner washer and dryer Snake Sweep.

Summing it up

This comic sums it up for yesterday and today. :) 

I'm excited to go thrifting with a friend tonight!

A date night would be lovely... but sometimes, you take what you can get!  lol

How's YOUR dance going today?? :)

Confessions from a Children's Book Junkie

Wallace’s Lists 

by Barbara Bottner and Gerald Kruglik

“Wallace, a mouse, could do almost anything. Anything, that is, as long as he had a list.

1.    Wallace is a shy mouse.

2.   He writes lists. Lists of recipes, funny words, and frightening experiences.

3.    Wallace meets his lively neighbor Albert.

4.    His world is swiftly opened to new delights, such as painting and music.

5.    Wallace and Albert experience the excitement of an adventure, and Wallace discovers a new joy…

6.    Friendship”

The above quote comes from the inside cover of this amazing children’s book.  I found this little morsel at our local library and while reading it to my boys, almost laughed out loud!  This book accurately depicts me and my husband. I’m Wallace and He’s Albert. J

My favorite section from the book is the following:

“I changed my mind.” Albert boasted.

Wallace was dumbfounded.

“Changing my mind is an adventure,” Albert explained.

“I don’t like adventures,” said Wallace.

“An adventure can be anything. Anything that isn’t planned for.”

“You mean anything that isn’t on a list?” asked Wallace.

“Exactly!” said Albert.

“Do you ever use a map?” Wallace continued. “I have lots of maps!”

“I don’t need maps,” said Albert, “because wherever I go, there I am.”

“But what if you get lost?”

“Being lost is automatically an adventure!” cried Albert.

“Suppose you get lost and then fall down and hurt yourself?”

“I pick myself up and keep going,” replied Albert.

“When I get in an accident, it makes me feel better to write a list,” said Wallace.

I read this to Mike but could hardly read coherently we were laughing so hard!  When we were dating, Mike would come pick me up in Chicago and go wherever we had to that weekend. There was no GPS back then so he’d just ask what direction we’d need to go. I’d tell him a rough estimate “North Arlington Heights area” and along a particular road and off we’d go. Mike’s Mapless Adventures they were. It was how I came to trust his sense of direction. He was always within a couple miles of where we needed to be.

I’m Wallace. I’m sorry to admit it at times, but it is the truth. There’s nothing better than a good list! Checking off things on my list is even better. J I don’t like things not planned. It bothers me to no end to not know what is going on when I’m stressed about something coming up. I’ve intentionally structured our home to run with routines… putting dirty laundry in the sorting bins as you take off your clothes, clearing your dishes when you’re finished eating, putting your glasses in one spot so you won’t have to play Hide N Seek with them when the bus will show up in less than 5 minutes… things like that. As with anything, a great strength can be your greatest weakness. Lists ignored and routines breached can make me feel rather Autistic at times. I feel out of control and the need to cling to something familiar. I rather understand Wallace’s need to write a list when he’s had an accident – even if it’s just a list of what could’ve happened to turn perspective on its head.

If you’re reading this and you happen to know Mike and I, separately or together, you’ll immediately understand the insane humor of the quote I listed previously. Enjoy reading it again to yourself… along with the irony of two mice talking about adventure and making lists. Oh, and if you want to find out what happens to Wallace and Albert, you'll have pick up this little gem at your library! Happy Reading!!

As for me, I think this book will be my next acquisition to my children’s book library.

Maybe I’ll add it to my Book List.