:::I Succeed, and I Fail:::

There are some DC living battles that I just can't win -- the 10% tax on takeout and restaurant food, the new 5 cent tax on plastic bags at grocery stores*, the exorbitant amount of my money that the city spends on running ineffective and ill-aimed social programs -- but there are some battles that I can win, like finding an easier way to buy the things I need (without being taxed 5 cents per bag sohelpmeyoufascists).

I have long been a fan of online shopping, especially when I can get free shipping. My hope is that someday Amazon will sell everything that I buy online, and that all of these items will qualify for free Super Saver shipping. Ah...Utopia.

After an arm-breaking trip to the Target in Columbia Heights this summer, I hopped online to see if Amazon sold a product that we all need at regular intervals. This product is heavy and bulky, and absolutely necessary. I can buy a smaller size of this product at the corner store two blocks away, but in that scenario it costs just as much as the full-size version that I could buy at a regular store.

Well, it turns out that Amazon does sell this product, but in bulk. At the time I didn't think it was practical to buy so much of this product, but after growing tired of paying way too much for way too little of it, a few weeks ago I went ahead and placed my order. Any guesses what it is?


I was so happy when the box arrived. No more treks out to Target. No more high prices and little volume at the corner store. Victory!

Ok, enough with the teases...


Yep, I bought four big ole bottles of Tide online. Best 50$+ I've spent all year. I was so excited to take care of the nagging, reoccurring problem of stocking laundry detergent. I was so excited that I didn't have to carry anymore heavy, cumbersome bottles of detergent home. I was so excited that Amazon stocked Tide Free, since regular Tide has started irritating my skin.


I was so excited that I hoisted one of my bright, new bottles of beautiful Tide detergent into the air to celebrate my victory, only to find that...


I bought the wrong kind of Tide. Well, the right kind -- Tide Free -- and the wrong kind. Do you think that my 100 year old house has high efficiency, front-loading washing machines? No, and no. Oh-to-the-well, anything is better than just plain hot water.


*Yeah, I know I can get around this by bringing my own bags to the store, but it kills me that DC government is once again taking more money from its citizens and still doing a horrible job of running this town. The more money they take, the crappier job they do. How does that work?