Saturday, September 18, 2010

Laundry

When I first learned my rental lacked a washer & dryer, I almost decided against it. I had vowed to be able to do laundry in my own place, but realized that living alone was a step up from the house share in Capitola. Plus I called Mom and asked for advice.

I live two blocks from the laundry mat. I live so close that I leave my car parked and walk home and have lunch while the clothes are washing. Sometimes I walk to do errands, go shopping at the Abundance Thrift shop or read magazines in the car. Yet, I snivel as if I have to lug my laundry two miles through the snow.

Basically, I spend more time complaining about the laundry than doing the laundry. Turns out I can have a washer and dryer on the property – but right now it’d cost more than it would be worth.

The reality is that some very good things have happened as a result of hanging out in laundry mats. Wash on a Friday night in 2000 led to producing the Mulukuku CD Project. Once I wrote an article about Nancy, owner of the former Washing Well in Morro Bay. (Politics and dirty laundry: keep an eye on the spin cycle. How's that for metaphor?) I recently spent time talking with Tiffany, a young woman I wrote a song about when I moved back to this area in ’93. She lives in my town AND we have the same laundry schedule.

All this and clean chonies too!

May all of your experiences be washed and thoroughly dried,

Dorothy