Burn, Baby Burn

"Help!", she called from the laundry room.

I rushed down the stairs as she called out, "Do you smell smoke?"

I did not, thankfully, and began to wonder what laundry mishap she found herself in this time.

She had once again chosen to ignore the care instructions emblazonened on an item. This time it was the cover for one of the kid's car seats. As I pulled it from the dryer, I noticed that one end was lightly singed, the opposite fairly damp. Underneath the burnt end, the plastic cushioning had begun to melt and congeal. Ironically, the giant care label was still hot to the touch.

I asked her why it was in the dryer when the instructions clearly say that it should drip dry.

"Oh, I don't have time for that."

Fortunately, I was still able to wrestle the cover back on the seat.

On the Road Again...

I got home from work one day at the usual time, and I noticed that my wife was just getting home herself. This is not unusual, but I know that she had left my parent's house about two hours earlier, and it is normally only a thirty minute trip.

I asked why she was so late. She sheepishly replied that she had done something dumb.

First, I need to provide some background. We live in a fairly large city, while my parents live in a smaller town several miles away. They are connected directly by a major interstate. There are lots of signs in both directions stating the distance to either.

She had left my parent's house and gone the wrong direction on the interstate.

For a half-hour.

All the way to our state capitol.

"Didn't you get concerned when you saw signs for the capitol and not our city?", I asked her.

"A little. But I didn't know what else to do.", she replied.