Learning From Others

I believe that it is important to learn from past mistakes. It is also important to make others aware of your mistakes so that they too can learn from them.

So it is for you, dear reader, that I have compiled this little list.

You know it is too cold outside to wash your car when..

..it is January.

..it is 33 degrees outside.

..you have to wear jeans, soccer socks, and a sweatshirt.

..you exhale, you can see your breath.

..the liquid soap is more or less like a gel.

..the water does not come out of the hose right away because it is a little iced up.

..you have to go inside after 10 minutes to warm your hands up.

..you have to wear winter gloves, with plastic kitchen gloves on top to keep them dry.

..you discover the layer of water on your car from the first hose down is now a layer of ice.

..the soap bubbles in your bucket have formed a layer of ice.

..you have to continually spray water on the section you are working on because if you don't, it will turn into a layer of ice.

..you have to use an ice scraper to remove the layer of dirty ice you just tried to wash.

..the sponge is not all fluffy; once you squeeze it, it retains that flattened shape.

..you cannot feel your fingers.

..you continually drop the sponge or the hose because you cannot feel your fingers.

..the water on the ground is beginning to form a layer of ice.

..the hose is not as movable as it should be, due to a layer of ice.

..you cannot even feel if you are splashing water on yourself because your body is so numb.

Needless to say, I do not suggest that you attempt to clean 5 months of dirt and grime off of your car in the middle of winter.

On the flip side, now my car is nice and sparkly clean for the first day of school this semester. I just hope I'm not at home sick with a rattling cough or a nasty cold.

The end.