Joke's On Me

It's only the fact that I keep much more paper than I should (even though it is properly labeled and filed) that I discovered hard-copy proof of God's sense of humor.

Exhibit A: As a high school senior, when asked that perennially annoying question, "What do you want to do after high school?" I was quick to answer: go to college and major in English. The inevitable follow-up response: "What are you going to do with that, teach?" SIGH. I don't know why everyone thinks that the only occupation for an English major is to teach English (or become an editor, which every English major secretly dreams of but only a lucky few manage to achieve). I had no idea what I wanted to do AFTER college, except for one certainty, which I voiced over and over and over again: I DO NOT WANT TO BE A TEACHER. A terrifying idea for an introverted nerdy bibliophile.

Yet as the years passed, my neat little file system contained a folder called "Teaching Ideas," which occasionally increased in thickness ... until the day when I pulled it out because I was actually a teacher in need of Teaching Ideas.

Good one, God.

Exhibit B: My hobbies and interests included reading, journaling, swing dancing, reading, scrapbooking, running, reading, and organizing friends and relatives' closets, bedrooms, and offices.

Yet as the years passed, my neat little file system gained a new entry called "Organizing Business." Even though I always thought, I will NEVER EVER OWN MY OWN BUSINESS. A terrifying idea for an introverted scaredy-cat who did not inherit a lick of business sense from her banker father. Until one day when I pulled it out because I was in fact starting my own organizing business.

Got me again, God.

It might be time to go through my papers again - and see what's around the bend. Who knew file folders could predict the future?

Sweater Solutions

Even though I lived in Florida for 18 years, I acquired a collection of sweaters for Christmas visits to family in Illinois and the occasional day the Florida weather dropped below 50 degrees.

But my favorite sweaters have grown "pilly," though I refuse to give them up since otherwise, they are perfectly fine.

I bought one of those gadgets at Bed, Bath & Beyond that is similar to an electric razor, only for sweaters ("fabric shaver"?). You turn it on, run it up and down the sweater, and voila, the "pills" are removed. It takes some time (and you have to stop every now and then to blow off the resultant fuzz from the motor), but the results are worth it.

Notice the pill action on this Tommy Hilfiger-lookalike sweater (before):

Now look at the right sleeve, which has been de-pillified:

1 sweater down, 4 to go.