Tuesday, August 26, 2008

We Live in Drying Times

Today's Wonder of the World is...the Clothesline! And Other Dryers!

Flickr photo by Professor Bop
Yes! I can hear you cheering! A post on dryers! What we've all been waiting for!
But no kidding. All over this world people dry things in weird ways!

I bet you know what got me thinking about dryers.
Raisins! (Those tricky raisins. First the dragon post and now this!)
Here's some Raisins in the Sun in Greece.

Flickr photo by urgenci international network
So I was thinking about raisins drying in the sun, and wondering how raisin makers keep pesky fruit flies from ending up in our boxes of raisins. (Sorry, but it's what I was thinking.)

Then, while I was deep in thought about that, I went to a public restroom and washed and dried my hands.

Flickr photo by n. dawg
(I love that: Press button, receive bacon, enjoy bacon. Doesn't the heat symbol look like bacon?)
That crazy hand dryer blew so hard that it gave me alien hands! Like this.

Flickr photo by Famous Potatoes
If Sarah had been with me, I would have gotten her to take a picture.
But she's away at college. Sob sob.
Anyway, you get the idea. It was frightening.

Like this hand dryer.

Flickr photo by troyjunkin stuff
Would you stick your hands in that?

Once I calmed down and realized that I still had all my skin intact, I started wistfully thinking about France. (It doesn't take much.)

Flickr photo by alisonhulot
I remembered my clothesline, and how much I loved it. My wacko Greer neighborhood outlawed them, so sometimes just for spite, I put my clothes on hangers and hang them from trees. Well not really just for spite. I just do it because I like the fresh scent it gives my shirts. And I think it's funny.
Don't worry. It's in the backyard. No one will hogtie me and throw me out of my subdivision.
Although they might if they read that I just called them wacko.

If I grew the radish luobo, like Maggie in Shanghai, I might dry my luobo the same way!

Flickr photo by Maggie's World
Hmmm.

Back in my French life, I discovered another reason why people used to wear aprons.

Flickr photo by ditty Pop
Where else are you going to put the clothespins?
For the first year in France, I had toddler Sam follow me around with a bucket, but then he'd get bored. And sometimes he'd run off with the bucket, dump the clothespins in the grass, and suck on them, so the apron was a welcome change.

When I wore the apron, I'd transform into 1950's/60's Becky. Sort of. Except I still refused to iron. But I'd imagine myself looking like this.

Flickr photo by incurlers
Hey! It's another dryer.
At least it's an improvement from this.

Flickr photo by littleredglass
Which reminds me of this.

Photo by IMDb
It's Cindy Lou Who!
I love that funny hair.

You know what else is funny?
I think this dryer is funny.

Hey Tanner.
I bought that drying rack at an antique/junk store because I loved the little bird clips. I imagined drying my delicates on it, hoping it would bring back some of the French magic. Then I took it home and changed my mind. I took a second look at it, and it reminded me of the rabbit ears we used to put on top of the TV, you know, the kind you add aluminum foil to, to get the stations to come in clearly.

I put it on top of our Tower of Technology (the entertainment center) and I thought it was HILARIOUS!

My family was confused. "Mom. What in the world? Why is that thing up there?"
First the door knocker on the inside of my front door, and now this.
No one got it.
I left it there anyway. Ha ha.
It makes me smile.

Anybody have a good way to dry a dog?

Yuck. Dirty bathwater. Naughty doggy for playing in the garden.
Have a Wonder-Full Tuesday, y'all!
Enjoy the commercial from my childhood! It's a Charlie's Angel, drying her locks! Man, those speed stylers are fast. I wonder if they give you alien head!

And don't forget to sign up for Wonder Wednesday! The partying starts a week from tomorrow! I hope you'll join in on the fun! I'm getting the prizes ready!

Love, Becky

22 comments:

CREEKSIDEMOM said...

"And it's FAA-IST!" But it doesn't seem to be putting out much air... how easily we were impressed back then. I remember having one of those hair dryers. They were some of the first hand held hair dryers, weren't they?
Jill

Barb said...

Who know there were so many dryers?

I had the little hand held dryer but spent some wasted time under the big old hair dryer. No wonder I have very little hair now.

Happy Tuesday!

hugs,
Barb

CEDAR JUNCTION said...

I remember the hours my Mom would spend under her dryer. I think she stayed under there longer than necessary because it was her escape.

Suzie said...

That is one funny hand drier my son would love it. And be scared of it,

Rosemary said...

Great post Becky!
What would we do without our blowdryers? Lately since it's been so hot, I have just been washing, and skipping the drying part.
Have a great day!
Rosemary

Anonymous said...

I have a confession. I just sat here and watched every single Farrah commercial....and now I forgot what I was going to say.....

Kristin said...

beautiful pictures..now I want to go to france and dry my chothes on a line..;p

StitchinByTheLake said...

I used to get up at 5:30 when I was in high school, wash and roll my hair and get under one of those hood hair dryers. I'd study for a test doing! Great for concentrating. :) blessings, marlene

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

Tell Tanner Edward, and Apple, get blow-dried by me! And, it takes a bit of time to do!

the Amateur Book Blogger said...

You have such a dry sense of humour. These dog dryers are pretty cool too: http://www.groomers.com/itemdy00.asp?T1=191793

(I'd love to join in the Wednesday Wonders next week. (Think I posted in the wrong post previously.) Unfortunately I am on vacation that day and have no live access (in the Highlands of Scotland) but I can post it by scheduled publishing.And I'll look forward to catching up with everyone else's wonders when I get back.)

Pocket Full of Prettys said...

My Mom had one of those hair dryers like the orange one in your photo. I hated when she would put curlers in my hair. Yuck! But I must admit that I can't live without my simple hair dryer! Renea

Penny from Enjoying The Simple Things said...

I love sheets smelling fresh from the outdoor line. That is so funny that your neighborhood banned clothes lines! I love that you still hand clothes out on hangers! You are such a rebel :-)!
Hugs,
Penny

Anonymous said...

Great drying post! I love my clotheslines. LOOOOOVE them. My mom had a dryer like that--I wish I had it now. It was so neat--and loud and a form of lovely white noise.

Jojo said...

Don't you miss clotheslines? We aren't in a subdivision with homeowners guidelines but hanging clothes outside is frowned upon. We still sneak and air dry all the time. EVERYTHING seems cleaner and it is better for the environment. After reading your thread I am still wondering how you wonder about so much!! They truly never cease!!!

Unknown said...

I love the shark hand dryer!

Rebecca Ramsey said...

Y'all are hilarious. Oh the things we do/used to do for beauty! What about wrapping your hair in socks? Or those little pink rollers?

Adrienne said...

That bacon dispenser/hand dryer is hilarious! Clever vandals. Naughty, but clever.

And I'd like to join your blog party, too!

Gina M Smith said...

You are just tooo funny. Isn't 'Tractors' a strange and wonderful book?! Hope you liked it. Her second one, Strawberry Fields, is good also. Someone from Tractors makes a surprise guest appearance, although there is no real similarity between the two books. I read three books on the planes for ZNE between Cali and IN. I'm a little slow...I just discovered Nicholas Sparks. Sobbing on a non-turbulent plane is probably not the coolest thing to do.
Virgos unite- happy birthday upcoming!

Kalynne Pudner said...

I swear, when I saw your title I thought it was a post about the drought in the South. And having been thoroughly saturated by Fay's outer rain bands, I was rather looking forward to it.

I wonder if one of those hair vacuum things would do any good?

Life on the Edge said...

Hilarious! Loved this post. At first I thought those radishes were garters drying on a line. Love your idea for the antique-y type bird dryer. Your mind thinks like mine. I would have put it on the TV armoire too! A former dog of mine had his own drying method. After shaking so hard he sent water over the entire bathroom, he would hop on my couch, soaking it, and once he dried himself off against a pile of clean laundry. It wasn't until I had a load of film developed that I figured out why I had such wet clothes. My daughter photographed it and never told me about it.

Count me in for next Wednesday! I have something that I guarantee will have people scratching their heads and going, what the h---?

Kady

A bird in the hand said...

Yeah!! Laundry Lines! *wink*

Colette xo

CC said...

Bwhahahaha!

Love this post. Laughed multiple times.

I've started airdrying my clothes inside on inside clothes lines. I think I'll post about it tomorrow. I haven't saved any money yet, but I'm still hoping!