So, we were in chat discussing important matters. Like what happens to the missing member of a pair of socks. We came up with four theories. Which do you believe?

Yassmine's Theory #1: A black hole sends them to become part of the rings of Saturn, along with airline luggage.

Yassmine's Theory #2: The theory of sockativity states that each pair of socks are a mated male and female. They make wild nookie in the wash during the spin cycle and give birth to one new sock. The parent socks then elope from the laundry room together, leaving the new sock to wander about on its own. Since the new sock is a mixture of the two parent socks, this is why you can never find a matching set after washing.

Scott's Theory: One sock in each pair mutates and becomes a clothes hanger. This explains why you have so few paired socks, and so many hangers.

Jenn's Theory: The Sock Fairy takes them.

I, of course, vote for option #4.

try now....I hadn't included anything in the "Poll Content" line before...guess that's not optional

Not to be a downer, but I did once read an article claiming that because of the design of certain top-loading washing machines, they get pulled into the machine itself, and it's quite common to find them in old machines sitting in landfills.

This is the life long question...and where is that CD that I love...?

They eventually turn into sock puppets and end up on VJ. Hence, the creation of new *threads*.

I think my OH eats them... of course that accounts for missing socks when he is around but not for you guys... or for me when he isn't around... Hmmm... Failing OH's presence I am going for Jenn's theory

My washing machine eats them and laughs at me in the morning when I am late for work because I have 15 pairs of black knee highs and none of them are a close enough match to fool my coworkers.

I handknit my socks...and they don't seem to go missing! Hee!

I have a gremlin in my machine!

Washing machines and dryers will eat them. You can find the undigested remains if you take out them apart. You can also find them hidden in a stack of towels, sheets, or even down a pant leg. Socks love to play hide and seek!

Wait a sec...VJ has Chat? I thought that was disabled a long time ago.

Where have you been? G.W. Bush was even there last night!

Oh man....when did it go back in service?

I don't think it was ever out of service

I must be losing touch with reality because I could've sworn that I once looked for it and it was gone. I thought I remember reading somewhere where Capt. Ewok disabled it for awhile.

Do many of you here use it because obviously in all the time I've been on VJ, I haven't used it?

You didn't have my answer to choose....

...my husband is a slob who leaves his clothes strewn from the back door all the way through the house, so when I couldn't take it any more, I threw them in a pile in the bottom of his closet one at a time!

that one gets my vote

Theory #1

Another option is alien abduction of socks.

Scott, you're theory doesn't work for me because I always am looking for hangers too.

Theory 2. Only cuz I SHRINK everything and the new sock, which resembles the original pair, just quite the same. ALSO, since everything is (properly) mixed in my laundry, the new color actually makes me suspicious of the parents of orgin of the now untraceable, unrecognizable new baby sock. (wondering what the hell DOES go on in that dryer and could i film it, post it, and make some $$$$ from it?)

there was the option of "Other"

Well, even I've used it. Steven you need to pay a bit more attention...oh and I vote for the Sock Fairy.

My hubby, who never in his life used a washing machine before coming to USA, did not believe me when I told him about the disappearing socks. The first time we did the wash together, he thought I had hid the missing socks. He started to do the wash solely on his own, when I was at work. Only then he accepted the phenomenon. Obviously, they are mysteriously whisked away to the rings of Saturn.

MENA uses it regularly. Steven you really should stop by for one of our slumber parties. Even charles has made himself a regular and its so intense he has to wear a papersack on his head.



Aliens have feet?



What happens in the Maytag, stays on youtube



My husband does not believe in the whole missing sock thing either. Which makes me wonder, do socks only dissapear in America? Are they so content and obedient in other countries that the idea of escape has never occured to them? Hmmmmm much to ponder......

ETA: It would seem my theories are the most popular. I feel a Nobel Prize coming my way.....

I couldn't vote because I believe some identical socks have a strong yearning to be seen as individuals and not as one unit. This leads them to pursue opposing career paths such as the aforementioned sock puppets, dance, and philanthropy. Case in point.

Socks who were successful at resolving a temporary identity crisis will return to their homes like the prodigal sock, if you will. Some socks, unfortunately, are never able to readjust once they have been out in the world and experienced all that life has to offer. The exhilaration of climbing Mount Everest; lighting up the big screen in films such as Dirty Dancing and Fame; or the allure of polishing the tables of fine country furniture is difficult to overcome, and they will decamp once again.

Either that or they run off to Saturn.

vote Other then

OMG. THAT was a blonde moment. Or was that blind?

I have a band of underpants gnomes that live in my house. They especially like the spaces around the washing machines but I also have them in my dresser and closet.

Underpants gnomes will steal ANYTHING but they also try and replace it. Once, inexplicably, we discovered a pair of jeans that fit no one in my house had appeared but a host of socks had vanished. This was an exchange. I haven't the vaugest idea what they wanted them for, but it was a nice pair of jeans and we took them to the local thrift.

We were also exchanged some socks for a pair of gold underpants that no one was either willign ot admit to purchasing or were delieved by our gnomes.

I got a cat, and we have a lot less theivery, but she has weird habits about watching my closet, and napping in my dresser but not in the drawers, but sneaking behidn the drawers and going in there. So, she stuffs herself on whatever gnomes weren't fast enough to get away, and then has a nap, and crawls out when she's ready.

So, I voted for Jenn's theory, because whatever you call them, gnomes, trolls or fairies, they're still little thieves that take your stuff!