Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Evidence of Extreme Lameness

I am now going to write, and what is worse, publish, an entire post about my new favorite toy. And it is not a cool new toy, like an iPod or a Blackberry or . . . um, what do normal people find entertaining and exciting?

Clearly, I am not normal, because THIS is my new favorite toy. It's a dishpan. Yes, a dishpan. I am ashamed to be so very excited by a porcelain-coated dishpan, but I am.

See, not only do we not have a dishwasher, but we have a big-ass farm sink, suitable for disemboweling chickens and gutting fish and other farm-like activities, but not so easy to do dishes in. Ain't no way we're filling that bad boy up with water. So we have to have a separate pan set in the sink to fill to do dishes.

In the past, this pan has been a plastic tub that we've purchased at the grocery store. These are cheap and you can't chip glassware on them, but that's pretty much it for their positive attributes. Being plastic, they get stained and nasty quickly and they tend to crack from the weight of the water when we lift the tub to drain it. Pieces of crap, really.

But finding something better is not so easy, because there doesn't appear to be a large demand for dishpans. I can't say I found that shocking. So I did what I always do when I need an item that was common 100 years ago and has since fallen out of use (except for at our house, where it's always 1908): I ordered it from Lehman's.

I'm sure you've never heard of Lehman's, but if you (like me) are a sucker for old-fashioned stuff, this is the company for you. They're based in Ohio, and they make a lot of non-electric products and antique-design reproductions for the Amish and Mennonite market. And us. We have more in common with the Amish than with the modern world, apparently. They have a whole section labeled "Home Butchering." Honestly, who can resist that? I drool over the Lehman's catalog like some women drool over . . . um, what do normal women drool over? Tiffany? Whatever, I covet Lehman's products.

So I got this grannyware dishpan from Lehman's, and it is AWESOME, y'all. It's so wonderfully sturdy and clean and it hangs from a neat little nail on the side of the cabinet. I'm in love. And also, exceedingly lame and clearly not normal.

If you actually read this far in my love letter to my dishpan, I salute you. And I am sorry. Tomorrow I'll try not to be so lame. But I make no promises.

7 comments:

angie said...

I just found your blog last week. You are so refreshing. Although I admit I was scared when I glanced and saw the word Blackberry (not in the kind that one grows) in the first sentence of your post.

I, too, love Lehman's (although, a bit pricey).

Kristin @ Going Country said...

Hey Angie. You know, that's the first time I've ever been called "refreshing." I kinda like it. Refreshing. Like lemonade. Or margaritas. Or Perry's Chocolate Panda Paws ice cream. All things I am proud to be associated with.

And yes, Lehman's is a little pricey, though their stuff is such good quality, it's usually worth it. And the dishpan was only $16, which I consider a great deal. Of course, I might be a little blinded by love. :-)

SaraPMcC said...

Tonight we're gonna party like it's 1699...or 1908! (If only work didn't block it or wouldn't fire me for it, I'd go to You Tube so I could post Weird Al's video for Amish Paradise.)

Drew @ Cook Like Your Grandmother said...

OMG! They have a category for Canning and Preserving! SQUEEE!

See, that's lameness. (And I will dispute any allegations that it bears any resemblance to what I really thought.)

And let's not talk about the fact that you have a nail in the side of the cabinet and not a nice hook. Are you trying to be a woodchuck now?

Odd, random observation: The Google Toolbar spellchecker doesn't flag "SQUEEE" as misspelled, as long as it's in all-caps.

krysta said...

I geek out over stupid stuff like this all the time. We are kindred spirits.

MsPicketToYou said...

i've felt this way (sadly) about many handy household helpers. once, i fell deeply in love with a paint remover that had little gritty sand bits in it to improve the scrubbing. (i do not consider it "painting" unless I am thoroughly covered in paint.) but, it betrayed me alas, when my skin started to peel.
good luck with your new lovah!

Anonymous said...

Yes, you should be ashamed.