Monday, May 19, 2008

All the fluff/down in my comforter has shifted to the bottom, so in an effort to redistribute it, I decided to hang it and another blanket over the fire escape this weekend. For awhile, it was fine. It was a little windy, so I sat out there with it, keeping it anchored. Then I decided to check my email, so I crawled back into the apartment. Just then, a big gust of wind came and grabbed the blankets. One fell on the ground 3 floors down; the comforter got caught on a bush.

So I got to climb down the fire escape and retrieve the blankets. This led to a few discoveries: 1) The fire escape ladder is HEAVY. God forbid there's ever a fire in my apartment that prevents me from going out the front door. 2) Once you're in the 'back yard' of the building, there's no easy way out, at least not that I could see. I got my blankets and stood in the yard, looking for a way out. The only option, it seemed, was to climb back up the fire escape - a tricky feat when laden with a 2 double-bed blankets.

"Do you need help?" I squinted and looked up. It was two of my downstairs neighbors; the little boys that helped me and my roommate move in. One of them climbed out the window. After I explained the situation, he climbed halfway down the ladder, and I handed him one blanket, and then the other. Then I climbed up and, with the help of the boy, pulled the super-heavy escape ladder up. Thanking the boy profusely, I took my blankets back upstairs, shook them out, and took them inside.

My new effort to redistribute the down involves flipping the comforter over. It means that I have a tag in my face while I sleep, but it's a hell of a lot easier than doing battle with the ladder again. Also, I think I'll be looking into clothes pins for any future airing attempts.