The Way of the Wind

For some reason it seems like our drier was broken a lot when my family lived in El Paso. That might just be how I remember things though. But it was never that big of a problem. We had an umbrella style drying rack outside in our yard. And honestly, clothes would frequently dry faster out there in the El Paso heat and dry air than they would have in an electric drier. Not only that, but clothes dried in the air last longer (heat and tumbling wear out clothes) and it saved energy costs over running the drier.

Then I went to Brasil on my mission. Not only did I dry clothes on a line, but we washed them by hand in a wash basin or a bucket. I’m still not a big fan of washing all my clothes, especially sheets (although that builds up good hand and lower arm muscles) by hand, drying clothes was easy.

Then I went to Mexico to student teach. We washed clothes in a washer, but hung them all out to dry.

Then I came back to the States and lived in apartments. I’d use my quarters to wash clothes in the washing machines, but then I’d bring my clothes back to my apartment, wet, and hang them up on collapsible drying racks in my living room. Even when I had a working washing machine in my own apartment (ie, connecting and acting as a washing machine rather than a microwave stand), I still never considered buying a drier.

With the Tucson summer, I know I can wash clothes in the afternoon, and they’ll be dry in the evening, even though I’m still hanging them to dry on collapsible racks in my living room.

I’ve heard of neighborhoods run by HOAs that don’t allow clotheslines. I’m crossing my fingers I never live in one of those. It seems like one of the most ridiculous rules there could be. I’m already slightly annoyed that I could get in trouble for the few times I carry my racks out to my patio here at my apartment to get a little more air on them. (They’re concerned with me drying some towels and jeans on the patio while stupid neighbor kid is trying to kill himself and others jumping off the stairs on his skateboard?)

In the mean time, I’m going to feel very New Yorker when I put my clothes up to dry this afternoon.