Mistletoe & Whine

As the mornings have grown colder I've come to rely on a ever-shrinking selection of clothes. I'm at the point now where I've subconsciously assembled a kind of Winter Uniform and I wear it almost every day... a black and white hat and scarf from Erika last Christmas, a green corduroy jacket from Amsterdam, black Dickies work pants from Outer Nofolkia and a pair of over-priced soft shoes from Brighton. I tie the scarf once around my neck to fill the space where my jacket doesn't fasten, and lo! I have everything I need to face the elements and still look stylish and European.

Then I decided to do some cleaning. I flooded the kitchen the last time I did a synthetics wash, so I threw everything in on normal and fried the hat to within an inch of its woolly life. It sits on my head like a pancake, a lampshade, or a handkerchief with knots in the corners. I bought a cheap replacement yesterday but it ain't reversible, it ain't as snug and it doesn't have any sentimental value. It just ain't the same. I'm so frustrated and there's no-one to blame but me and my own stupidity. Let this be a lesson to us all: never do laundry when you don't have to!