Occasionally . . . I iron.
Occasionally.
I do automatically know where to look to find the iron, but evidently I don’t know to automatically put it away.
I’d guess even normal people do that with some things.
But what makes me the most crazy is when I consciously say to myself (multiple times over several days), that I should really put that iron away because I keep almost knocking it off the counter.
Almost tripping over the cord.
I know irons are heavy.
I know my ceramic tile might not survive the impact.
But I don’t do it.
Y’know, until after I’ve knocked it off.
Grrr.
Clarifications:
No, that’s not what an iron is supposed to look like.
Yes, some of those cracked-and-knocked-off-pieces are from this very incident (as opposed to the other times I could have written this post).
No, this post has no “how to” value.
Yes, the fact that I do this totally gets on my own nerves.
____________________________________________________
Have you signed up for Swagbucks yet? Don’t know what Swagbucks is? Go here to read my explanation after you copy this sign-up code. If you enter the code MARCHSWAG during the sign-up process, you’ll get an extra 70 swagbucks! That will start you out with 100! And yes, that’s my swagbucks referral link!
Melanie M says
My inability to return things to their defined location gets on my nerves too. I suppose half the battle is HAVING a defined location in the first place… That really is half the battle!
Jamie says
So if this is what the iron looks like, how did the ceramic tile fare??
Nony says
ONce again, I got lucky. No chips in the tile . . . yet.
Jennifer says
What’s an iron?? :p
Mel says
I have a perfectly nice rack that holds both the iron and ironing board. It lives less than ten feet from where I typically set up to iron. And yet, I routinely leave my iron sitting on the rickety ironing board so I can walk around it all week long. It’s only a matter of time before I find out whether the iron or the ceramic tile floor will win that death match.
Alana in Canada says
On the other hand, for me, that’s just another excellent reason never to install ceramic tile. Nothing would ever survive us.
Livin In Duckville says
Ok… I too leave the iron out after I’ve used it… because, because, because…. it’s hot. And I’m afraid if I put it away before it cools (read immediately after I’m done with it) that I’ll burn the house down. So, Nony, I understand your procrastination about putting it away.
My question is, to the ‘cleanies’ out there, what DO you do with a hot iron?
Nony says
Duckville, what a FABulous excuse. I mean reason. And so true!
hsmominmo says
that is a great questions! anyone have a great answer?
Jennifer says
I am NOT organized, but a thought popped in my head. How about setting a timer for however long it takes the iron to cool? 30 min? and then putting it away. I’m fortunate I have room to leave mine out on the ironing board. this is good and bad – the ironing board is another flat surface that catches clutter!
Chrissie says
Ohhh, this hits close to home. Last week I was looking at a fluorescent tube we had standing in our dining room, waiting to be replaced, thinking “I should probably throw that out since we know the size we need now, and those things are dangerous”.
Did I throw it out right then? No.
That very evening the cat decided to go into a little frenzy (as she does), ran a bit too close and sent that thing down, shattering it… with its toxic innards all over the floor.
Thank goodness none of us copped any of it, and luckily our new OMG-it-actually-works vacuum had arrived that same day so we were able to clean it up very effectively, but it would have saved a whole lot of trouble and worry had I just thrown the darn thing out when I thought about it!
Slob with OCD says
It’s axiomatic at our house that if I leave something someplace unwise I will be the one to knock it over.
I have to say Nony, actually using your iron is going to cost you some serious slob cred. You do get a little back for leaving it out for days.
noel says
LOL! I do similar things all the time. I would love to say that I can empathize with the iron thing, but that would imply that I use an iron…ever. But I am famous for taking things out of place and then stepping over, around, or on them…or stubbing my toe repeatedly on whatever it happens to be that particular time before it dawns on me to take the 30 sec. it would take to put away or throw away….=0\
Mel says
I would really like to know how many slobs, or transforming slobs there are out there! Since discovering your blog quite randomly, I am not only being very kind to my lack of knowledge and non existant tidy genes, but I also realise that I am not alone. Most of your blog posts I could have written myself!
My iron has lots of chips
Jennifer says
Mel – You are not alone! Have you gotten on Flylady.net? (Is it proper blog ettiquette to mention another site? I don’t know!) She helps people like us get our homes clean 15 min. at a time. She has over 500,000 subscribers! But the most important thing I have learned from her is changing my attitude – FLY stands for Finally Loving Yourself. Love yourself just as you are. So Nony, don’t berate yourself for leaving the iron out or dropping it. Be thankful you have a home and a family to iron for! : )
Mary Stephens says
Thanks. I’m glad to know I’m not the only person with “iron issues”. 😉 I usually keep mine on the ironing board (right now in my sewing room). That should be a good place, though, right? Wrong. Do you know how “bumpable” an ironing board is? They are so wobbly! I don’t know how many times over the years I’ve knocked the iron off the ironing board, especially by bumping the board. Ugh. And, my sewing room is presently so stuffed with stuff that I don’t have a good place to store it — that I would actually use.
I also know what you mean about thinking of doing a thing repeatedly and Not doing it. Sigh. Call it slob brain, call it procrastination, call it laziness (as some would), call it whatever you want — the stuff still sits there. Like the deflated air mattress that is lying on our living room floor from a week ago — a week ago Tuesday to be precise. (Yup. Been there, done that, couldn’t find the T-shirt. 😉 )
Britt says
I seriously wondered how you managed to take a picture of my iron for a moment there…
hsmominmo says
I saw the picture of the iron and winced – yep, I knew what was coming.
but I’m so happy there was not tale of a black n’ blue big toe or trip the emergency room!
and for the record – my iron has dents of its own and leaks water, so it’s an adventure any time steam-ironing is needed (which is rare in this household!)
Bronwyn says
My husband, who is normal, does the ironing. He says that when you finish ironing, it is safe to straight away wind up the cord and put the iron away on a shelf not touching anything else.
Nony says
Thanks for the insider information! I do think paranoia tends to be one of my big hang-ups!
Lindsey says
I’ve started playing a little game with myself and ask “What am I procrastinating about right this very second?” …and then I go do it. It turns out, I have such a long list of things that I’ve never run out of tasks, and often I either save money (late fees and such) or take a huge load off my mind (by FINALLY writing thank you notes). But I’m sure small appliances have also lost their lives due to my procrastination.
Twyla Hajdukiewicz says
I bought an ironing board with a special metal section at the end where the iron fits and is much harder to knock off. I suppose actually putting away something I use so infrequently when I’m not quilting would make even more sense, but I haven’t gotten that far.
I have been better about laundry and kitchen since finding you, though.