Socks


I know the reputation of socks in the dryer. Half of a pair is supposed to disappear in there, never to return.

I think somebody made that up, because it never happens at our house. Of course, that might be because I don't buy socks in pairs. I buy them in those bags of ten pairs at a time, all the same color, so if one gets lost or holey, there will be others around to match it up with.

My preferred method of being the family sock provider is to color-code socks according to how big your feet are. All preschoolers get, for example, white socks, or white socks with purple toes, so I can tell who they belong to and throw them all in the right drawer without sorting. If you have siblings, you are not entitled to own your own personal socks.

Anyway, back to the dryer. Socks don't disappear in there. What happens is that new socks appear, and even appear in pairs. Socks I swear I have never seen before, and I can't figure out who they fit. It's very odd.

Maybe the dryer is gradually spitting back all those socks it stole from other people.