The Case of the Missing Sweater

This past Saturday I took two pair of pants and a sweater to the dry cleaners.

On Tuesday they were delivered but I didnt have a chance to do more than put the plastic bagged now clean clothes in the closet.

Wednesday evening I removed them from the plastic bag, hung up the pants and went to put the sweater in the cedar chest. As soon as I opened the bag and touched the sweater I knew it wasn't mine. It was some sort of yucky wool, a turtleneck, with discoloration under the arms (the chick who owns it needs to buy a deodorant that doesnt leave white stains) AND its a SIZE SMALL.

As I looked at the sweater I realized I could not remember which of my sweaters I took to be cleaned, so I went through the cedar chest looking at each and every sweater. All my 'good' sweaters were in there, so I sat down to think, to try to
remember which sweater I took in. I couldnt.

I really had no idea what I was missing. Scary. I thought in all likelihood it was black, long sleeved AND a size LARGE but none of my black sweaters were unaccounted for.

The next morning I was sitting here trying to remember what I wore last week, seriously, I cant even remember what I wore YESTERDAY.

I remember thinking I hope whoever's sweater I got, got mine because that would make it easy since a SMALL person would know she got the wrong sweater so she'd return it to the cleaners. Then I fretted whoever had it would like it and not return it, which upset me a lot; on the other hand, if I dont know what I lost how can I be upset?

I re-played last week's weather, what I did/where I went when suddenly I remembered which sweater it was! EUREKA!

One day last week I'd worn a pair of brown corduroy pants (which I also took in to be cleaned because I fed them). When I wear those pants I usually wear one or another of my 'brown' tops; on that day I remembered I wore the 'plaid' top. A lightweight cashmere sweater in shades of brown, orange, tan, rust that seem to form a plaid pattern.

Now I am panicking because this is a nice sweater, I call the dry cleaner to tell him NOT to look for a black sweater, to look for a plaid sweater. English not being his first language cuased some confusion. Finally he says its not lost, he will find it but if he doesnt, he will pay for it. I just know whoever got this will not return it. AND I dont have a receipt for it any more because its a few years old.

So imagine my surprise, my pleasure upon arriving home to discover ..



Case solved.