Lint in Literature: The Widower's Tale by Julia Glass

I'm reading Julia Glass's latest novel The Widower's Tale and must say I'm loving it. She is an excellent writer, tells a good story with wonderful character development. If you haven't read any of her books, I'd suggest starting with The Whole World Over, my favorite.

Last night I was reading along in bed when this line made me tear off a piece of the crossword puzzle I was using as a bookmark to mark the page:

Yet divorce and stained-glass willows and gadabout NPR celebrities were relegated to the virtual lint filter of my consciousness as I focused on the lump I'd felt in Sarah's breast.

It's interesting to think that we have virtual lint filters for our consciousness, isn't it? But we each have one. That place we put aside the "stuff" we should be dealing with to think (worry)  about what's at the forefront of our minds. I know my virtual lint filter can get clogged, making me slog along. If my head clears, I usually write down a list of what I need to do. This is essentially like grabbing the lint, wadding it in a ball, and throwing it away because when my mind is clear, I may not actually get all those things done but at least I know there is a reminder of what they are. Then I can resume focusing.

Snopes and Lint: The Real Dirt

I did a quick search for "lint" on Google and didn't see much interesting but on the third page found info from Snopes regarding lint. Yes, Snopes, the Web site subtitled "Rumor Has It." Snopes verifies or nullifies gossip, emails, and the like.

The Snopes lint entry is regarding the claim of lint filters on clothes dryers getting clogged when you use dryer sheets. Turns out, it's true. Dryer sheets can clog the mesh screens on dryers with a film that causes the heating element on the dryer to overheat and go out.

I personally don't use dryer sheets, so I guess my dryer's good to go. Do you use dryer sheets?