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Tuesday, February 17, 2009

I Might Be Insane

When we finally found our old electric blanket last year and plugged it in, it sizzled and sparked and smelled funny. We took this to be a possible bad sign.

My dilemma: I couldn't bear to send it to a thrift store to masquerade as a properly functioning electric blanket, lying in wait to deceive -- or injure -- some poor unsuspecting consumer. But I also couldn't bear to send what would be a perfectly good blanket of the non-electric variety to clog up a landfill.

So I did what any crazy person in possession of a sewing machine would do: opened it up along the top, pulled out all of the wires, darned the hole where the plug had been, sewed the top closed again, and then sent it to a thrift store.

But now I want to know: What would you have done if this were your blanket? Honestly, I'm curious. I find it fascinating to learn about the habits of normal humans. Delurk, 'fess up, leave a comment.

 

 

 

10 comments:

Laura said...

You are too nice. I would've thrown it in the trash. I guess I am not so nice.

Katie said...

Wow. You are a much better person than I. I would have thrown it away.

Anonymous said...

I might have done what you did, so it must be in the genes. Or anyway in the nurture. I *might* have just removed the wires and sent it to D.I. to be used as rags (I've heard that's what they do with anything damaged they receive -- I mean sell it as bulk rags, if I'm correctly informed.)

Since I've been getting out the baby's clothes I was just thinking of posting about one of my crazier past salvage projects (involving a pair of worn overalls I'd worn as a kid.)

Stephen said...

I would have just cut the cord off and let the thrift store do with it as they would.
Love, ya

Stace said...

I would have 86'd it, but if I were you, after all the work of removing the wires and such, I would have kept the blanket... an extra for guests or my car or camping, the dog, etc.,

Jstar said...

Since Steve will never let me get an electric blanket no matter how much I beg (he says that he's my heater and then complains every night when I have, and I quote, "freezy feet"), I would have probably rewired it because I would know that I could never get another.

Sarah Golden/craftyFOLK said...

Wow, you rule. Good job. I will gather inspiration from this when I'm too lazy to do the nice/good thing in the future.

I would have either - A. shoved it in a box to think about later pretending it is part of my stash or B. cut the cord.

Cheryl said...

I had a green electric blanket that did that. I used it for every...it was my grandparents...my mother (this is when I was a teen) finally took it away from me and through it in the trash...I went and got it out..I hid it under my other blankets....it never did cause a fire...but it did fall apart in the wash one day...

marymary said...

Stephen, Sarah: Um, cutting the cord? Way too brilliant/simple to occur to me. Genius!

Jstar, my fellow freezy footer, I'm here to tell you you that a preheated bed is so good. Maybe you can tell Steve he's welcome to be your heater as long as he'll go to bed an hour before you and lie in your spot until you come. Because that's what he's up against.

Cheryl, such intrepid use of electric appliances! If I'd known there were people like you out there who laugh in the face of sizzly electric blanket menace, maybe I would have left it as-is.

Pilcrow said...

I'd have thrown it out. Call me wasteful. I'm amazed we don't all belong to the Green Party really.