Automation

Today I did manage to accomplish that great deed, the taking out of garbage.

Yesterday was a good but a long busy day. I knew my afternoon would be free today, so I planned to do some yard work, weather permitting. In the morning, when I walked the dog, the weather was beautiful. Through the morning hours taken up by church and some family tasks, it clouded over, but by the time I had eaten a little lunch it was sunny and beautiful. Perfect weather for yard work.

But I felt so, so tired. I tried to whip up my energy to get out there and work, but I couldn't. So I said to myself, Why not take Sunday as a day of rest? What a concept. So I sat in my recliner and I slept for close to three hours.

I woke up slowly. I was tempted to have a cup of coffee, but I thought that would give me such a boost I might not get to sleep at a normal hour tonight, setting myself up for a difficult Monday morning. So I resisted that urge and am doing the fairly non-demanding task of sticking a few loads of laundry in the wash. I hope to have a good night's rest.

I am so glad that washing clothes is so simple and no longer involves boiling water, standing and rubbing everything up and down a washboard, dipping, twisting, wringing, and the like. It used to be one of the worst household tasks. I read that when pre-industrial women had any household money to command, the first job they would hire out was always washing clothes. Now, throw it in the washing machine, twist a dial, push a button, and go away and do something else for while. Come back, throw it in the dryer, twist a dial, push a button, and go away again. Yay for modern civilization and the comforts of a mechanized society!