The difference between 'i' and 'e'

I'm sure many of us have had this problem before.  You're writing an e-mail, or a paper, or even just a facebook message and suddenly you can't remember whether weird is spelled with the i before the e or after, because that silly school rhyme is never accurate when you need it to be.  I before E except after c (but never when its weird in society)

That last addition is my own. 

The English language is hard, we all know it.  The history of our language is so messed up it's no wonder we have our troubles with it.  That's what happens when your language is the relic of about 7 different societies that conquered you. 

But I ask you, can you usually spot when you've misplaced one of your 'i's or 'e's?  I mean, if you saw yourself spelling 'farmeng' with an e instead of an i, you'd notice right?  Reght?

Thus we come to the object lesson of today: a note that I found taped onto the mailboxes in an apartment building.

'Could someone please return the Lent trap to the dryer so I can wash my clothes?'

Now I can only assume that they meant 'lint' trap. 

At least I hope so.

Never mind, I really do hope they meant Lent trap.  Because then I'd feel justified in trying to imagine just what a Lent trap would look like, and how it would work.  And why on earth would it be placed in a dryer....