24 April 2006

My Favorite Dish

Washing dishes is a complicated undertaking. I was about 35 before I realized that the flatware holder could be removed from the washer in order to facilitate storage of my forks, knives, etc. Up until that point, I had always selected the silverware drawer in my kitchen according to it's proximity and accessibility to the washer.

Everyone has their own system, so loading someone else's dishwasher has the potential to fracture friendships and destroy the underpinnings of even the closest family. I have a friend, let's call her B.R. (you know who you are) who is one of the squeaky cleanest people I know. But she puts her flatware in the washer with the handles facing down! How can you do such a thing?! A person should not be fondling the business end of utensils!

It's amazing how much water is wasted washing dishes. I was doing a little sailing cruise a couple of years ago with a friend who had lived with limited access to water for a part of her life. She was able to wash and rinse the dishes used by four people with about two cups of water. She tried to teach me how to do this, but like all things dish washing related, I had trouble rising to the necessary skill level.

I've a lot to learn about washing dishes, but I do load silverware business end down. As God intended.