It's 4AM, Do You Know Where Your Laundry Is?

Ours was out on the line. In a thunderstorm. The same thunderstorm that spawned tornadoes in the midwest the night before. I woke up at 4, as usual - pregnant mommy stuff, you know - to hear the rumble of distant thunder. I knew that a drying rack had been left on the back porch, so I brought it in and went up to bed. Then it occured to me that there might be laundry on the lines. Laundry the kids forgot to bring in before dinner (I know I asked them to).

"Nah, they brought it in. I'll just try to get back to sleep."

Suddenly, I was haunted by visions of newly washed baby clothes being tossed in the wind - and found in the next zip code. At the very least they would be a soggy mess. Did they leave laundry out??? I get up - no mean feat at 8 months pregnant - and waddle to the window. Cupping my hands around my eyes, I spy... laundry! "Oh, for Heaven's sake, " I utter silently to myself in exasperation

At least I thought I was silent. Brian woke up and asked what was wrong. I told him. I began to dress myself to go rescue my laundry from impending doom when he orders me to get back to bed, he'll bring it in. I follow him downstairs, empty a basket, open the door and switch the outside light on. ... I said, switch the outside light on... Drat! The bulb's out and Brian is risking his life to save my laundry.

I run to the bathroom and put up the shade, switching on the bathroom light in the hope that it will help at least a little. A few minutes later, my brave, strong husband returns with a basket of laundry. And not a moment too soon. Just as we get back to bed, the storm breaks over us. Some of the brightest lightening and loudest thunder I've ever heard. The rain beat down on the roof and on the trees outside. My children sleep on, blissfully unaware of our pre-dawn rescue mission.

The children thought this story very amusing. OBJECT LESSON: If you want a job done right, do it yourself.