- NEWS
- SPORTS
- UCLA takes advantage of Arizona State 1 hour & 26 minutes ago
- Bruins tailgate: 11-21-09 1 hour & 50 minutes ago
- Sharks hold off Ducks, 3-2 8 minutes ago
- Live updates from 'UFC 106: Ortiz vs. Griffin 2' 3 hours & 39 minutes ago
- BUSINESS
- ENTERTAINMENT
- LIFE
- TRAVEL
- Palm Springs Weekend 1 hour & 32 minutes ago
- Thanksgiving at the "Hotel Del" 1 hour & 46 minutes ago
- Traveling for the holidays? Here's some advice
- Slovenia: The quiet side of the Alps
- OPINION
How I snagged the man, the money, and the washer and dryer
October 29th, 2009, 6:06 am · 22 Comments · posted by Jenny Angelici, Contributing Writer
After years of apartment living, I was moving into a house. Not exactly my house - my boyfriend’s house. I was head-over-heels in love with this guy. However, there was something I couldn’t understand about him. How could someone who owned a house and made a decent living not have a washer and dryer?
Why would anyone choose a laundromat over the luxury of being able to wash and dry your clothes at home? It just didn’t seem to matter to my guy. But, it mattered to me. I was done with visiting places called Spin City and Suds and Duds. I was going to buy us a washer and dryer.
Off to Sears we went, where I purchased a lovely matching set. They were fresh and beautiful with a bright future ahead of them – the ideal couple — kind of like us.
Everything was perfect. Our clothes were clean and we were enjoying our domestic bliss. Unfortunately, like a washer stuck on a cycle, our relationship began to stall. I was ready to take that final spin (a.k.a. marriage) and my boyfriend was stuck on soak … let’s just say he was wishy-washy. After all those loads of laundry together, I was done playing house and made plans to move out. I was taking my washer and dryer with me.
Ironically, my boyfriend didn’t seem to have a problem with me leaving. But the washer and dryer - that was a different story. By this time he had become accustomed to the convenience of his own laundry center. Now, this guy couldn’t live without that dynamic duo in his garage.
So, I made him a deal. I would sell them to him for full retail value – no depreciation. OK, maybe I was taking advantage of him feeling guilty about the relationship folding. I was a bit agitated as he happily handed over the money.
I guess he really missed me, because six months later he asked me to marry him. We smoothed out all the (relationship) wrinkles and I eventually moved back into his house. I was extremely happy and pleased to see my two old friends, Mr. and Mrs. Kenmore, again.
Although, I didn’t intend for it to happen this way, I had to laugh to myself as I realized that I had ultimately snagged the man, the money and the washer and dryer.
I’m happy to report, that after fifteen years, our marriage has outlasted that washer and dryer. In fact, as I write this, I’m waiting for our third set of twins to be delivered – yet, another dirty laundry story.
For more dirty laundry stories:
- Roxanne has more than laundry in her basket
- What’s your least favorite chore?
- Make your own laundry soap
- All Theresa wanted was an iron
More from Gray Hairs and Teddy Bears — Jenny Angelici
22 Comments
Leave a Reply
-
ADVERTISEMENT
-
-
Holiday Gift Guide
Get great gift ideas for everyone on your list! Visit The Orange County Register's Holiday Gift Guide. -
-
-
16th annual People's Choice
From your favorite restaurants and shops to the best day spa in town, here are your choices for the number one places to eat, shop and play in O.C.
Browse the 2009 Best of Orange County winners -
ADVERTISEMENT
Cute story to start the day, thanks!
Thanks, Tammie! I’ve been telling this story to my friends for years. It’s always fun to find a new audience that hasn’t heard it before.
It all comes out in the wash, doesn’t it
yea, but, it’s the tumble dry that hurts. I always went into the laundry mat to find the girls in the picture above, never did
it’s like trying to find a date in the grocery store, that never made sense either.
Oh, so that’s you “fixing” that washing in the picture.
oh yea, do like my tan line?!?
is this National Laundry Article Week?
I agree with Dad’s POV, that whole “laundry mat = meat market” is the biggest myth sold to guys!
Yes, there seems to be a laundry theme this week. So funny about the Laundry Mat Myth.
I guess the theory would be that young singles would be renting and not have laundry facilities?
Thanks for the cute story!
Makes sense to me. too
Thanks for the kind words, Julie.
geez i sure hope your name is on the title….
One day my husband surprised me by having my name added to the title. So, I guess I snagged the house, too - at least 50%
Very cute story. Thank you!
Thank you for stopping by and reading it. It was fun to write.
Okay the big question is…When you moved back in, did you return the money?
Great story with your ’spin’ on it.
Thanks, Marcy.
He never even mentioned the money - so I kept it.
i am sure he thought you “paid him back” some other way….
Gee, I hope he thinks it was worth it.
Loved your story! I actually do know someone who met their husband at the laundry mat. I worked this angle another way: There was a washer and dryer at the house I rented when I was single and since my then boyfriend/now husband used to take his clothes to a laundrymat and pay for them to wash/fold, or he’d just buy more and more new packs of chonies and socks, I started telling him to just bring the laundry over to my place since he was over all the time any way. By the time he was ready to go home his clothes were washed and folded and his belly was nice and full from my mom’s tamales (I didn’t cook well then). Hard for a single guy to give that up! A feminist would probably gasp at my willingness to take care of my man but, I’m happily married to a great guy and I am now legally obligated to do his laundry. I am not complaining
Love at the Laundromat - wouldn’t it be fun to find out how many people have dated, or ultimately married, someone they met at a laundromat?
Tamales and Laundry – Great story! Homemade tamales and fresh clothes are the perfect way to show someone you love them. I’m all for taking care of your man - especially when he turns out to be a wonderful husband, like yours!
Before we were married, I used to take Gino’s dress shirts to my dry cleaner. The best part was that they wrote my last name inside his shirts – he was a marked man.
Loved your story when I read it in the paper and seeing it with the provocative pic online is even better! Its a perfect story from a literary standpoint - comes full circle : ) AND it has a happy ending!
Thanks, Priscilla - It was fun putting this story in writing. I’m so glad that my husband and I mananged to keep it together and not end up like those poor socks who lose a mate in the dryer. Hehe.