On the way to drop my wife off at the train, we were conversing about some domestic topic and I blurted out, “Well, I’ll have to put that on the Laundry List.”

And Sue said. “What is a Laundry List? What does that even mean?”

Which is why I love her. Because she asks the questions that may not need to be answered, but they sure are interesting to consider.

So I looked up the term Laundry List and this is how it is defined: “a long or exhaustive list of people or things.”

In the process I learned there’s a company called laundrylist.com that bills itself as is “The #1 seller of used industrial laundry machinery in North America. We specialize in the sale of used industrial equipment from Tunnel Washing Systems, Flatwork Feeders and Folders, Material Handling to Power Plants.”

That’s quite a laundry list, and rather specific and literal when you think about it.

Our laundry lists

On a more practical level, we all walk around with laundry lists of one kind or another in our heads. For example, today is my birthday, and that always makes me think back on the experiences of the past. I particularly recall my ninth birthday when my mother bought me three of the best things I’d put on my birthday list. I spent an entire peaceful day gluing together a model of some military plane that I admired. From my brother’s room down the hall, a Beatles album was playing Nowhere Man. All was right with the world. That goes on my Laundry List of Good Days in Life.

That proves our laundry lists don’t have to “exhaustive” as in “dire” or on a list of things we’d rather not remember. To do, especially.

Dirty laundry

Of course, there are actual literal laundry lists for endurance athletes. Nothing is more frustrating than going to the closet or dresser and learning all your cycling or running shorts are still down in the laundry bin. Finding socks can be a particular pain. So can all the gloves and other gear vital to healthy, active training. All must be laundered at some point, or else you have to fudge it.

It only gets worse the colder the weather gets. Here in Illinois, it is summertime now and the living is easier. A set of cycling shorts and a kit top are all it takes to get out on the bike. But don’t forget the helmet, gloves, shoes, Headsweat, Garmin, water bottles, nutrition, cell phone and sunglasses. It never gets easiers, you just buy more stuff.

There’s always a laundry list of things to track it seems. That’s the fact of human existence. Even if we could swim, ride and run naked we probably wouldn’t. Not on a daily basis anyway. Which means laundry remains a big part of our lives, and that means a laundry list to keep.

What’s on your laundry list?