Try It Another Way

monday-blogs-1I’m going to get today’s point across by telling you a few stories.

The Dryer Game

The laundry facility I use is small, crowded, and often quite busy.

There have been times when every single washer and dryer is in use when I’ve shown up with my dirty laundry.

Once there was even a line of people waiting to snag a washing machine the second one became available. That was one overloaded day, pun intended.

Some people do like wait around for an available machine. After trying that once and getting frustrated by the folks who like to let their clothing hang around in the machines for hours after they’re done washing or drying, I started making rules for myself.

If all of the washers and dryers are claimed, do not pass go or unload your laundry basket. This game was doomed from the start.

If a few washing machines are free but all of the dryers have just been claimed, come back in 30-60 minutes. Some of the machines will probably be free by then. If they aren’t, try again on a different day.

If there are enough washing machines right now and at least one dryer looks like it will be free by the time you’ll need one, start the laundry immediately. Not everyone uses all of the time on their dryer, so you could end up with far more dryers than you actually need.

It’s easier to take your chances on this when a few of the dryers will run out of time in the next thirty minutes or so anyway.

monday-blogs-3Rethinking Steak

Those of you who have followed this blog for a long time might remember that I’m not a big fan of meat, especially red meat.

I react to it the same way many people seem to react to vegetables: a part of a balanced diet, but definitely not the fun or enjoyable part.

(When I was a kid, I actually ate a plate full of lettuce as my after school snack every day. That’s how much I liked and still like vegetables!)

The other night I went to a friend’s birthday dinner at a restaurant that is known for its steaks. There weren’t a lot of other dairy-free options on the menu, so I ordered a steak for my meal.

Historically, I’ve asked for well done meat because I thought that the red juice you see in cooked steaks was blood. The sight of it completely grossed me out. It was only recently that I learned what it actually is, though, so this time I decided to order a steak that was cooked to medium instead of well done.

What a difference that one decision made! My steak was juicy and delicious. It’s still not something I’d want to eat more than occasionally, but it was a much better meal than the steaks I’ve had in the past.

Tying It All Together

Sometimes trying things another way makes all of the difference in the world.

What problem or situation have you approached from a different angle recently? How did that work out for you?

5 Comments

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5 Responses to Try It Another Way

  1. Megan Cutler

    I’m kind of the same. I eat steak only rarely. My husband and I have taken to going to a nice steak house once a year for our wedding anniversary and that’s pretty much the only time I eat it. Much like you, I decided to try this year’s stake one step rarer than I usually get and I was shocked at how good it was! I’m kind of looking forward to next year’s steak now 🙂 Also, I didn’t realize the red wasn’t actually blood. That IS good to know.

    • Cool! How did you have your steak cooked? I’m thinking of trying it medium rare in a year or so when I have it again. Haha.

      • Megan Cutler

        I had it medium rare, actually (had to think about it because that was about four months ago ^^;; ), so I can confirm that it is well worth trying it. 🙂 I’m still a bit leery about going rarer than that, though my husband had his rare and really liked it. He likes steak quite a bit more than I do though.

  2. Steve Nazarian

    Dead on Lydia. I’m reminded of the scene in Dead Poet’s Society when Mr. Keating has all the boys stand on their desks for a “different perspective.” Oh, and medium-rare is the only way to go. 🙂

    • I’d forgotten all about that scene, but it was a great one. Didn’t they leap from one desk to the next as well once Mr. Keating got them really into the rhythm of the poem?

      And I will definitely be trying steak medium rare next time.

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