laundry

It turned out to be nine loads of laundry. The place was empty except for a guy on his computer, just sitting on the couches provided, using the free wifi available. I used nine machines. By the time I got the last load on with sorting and putting in $2.50 in quarters, running out of quarters then finding the coin machine at the back of the store, the first load only had 15 minutes left out of 45.

I sat and read my book, well, its really the boys' book. Its an author they have been reading. Its not a bad read. The TV had on the Kate and Regis show. Do people really watch them every day? It got worse when that ended and some day time soap came on. The TV had a sign "Do not change the Channel". Not that I could see how with the TV built into the wall, with all the buttons covered. I was tempted to find a way, but by then others had arrived.

A Hispanic family with small children came in. The toddler went right for the candy machines and started screaming. Everyone ignored the screaming until she quit, realizing she was not going to get anything. They only washed their clothes, then piled the damp loads into a big grey plastic garbage can and the father and teen age son carried the heavy load out, perhaps to use their drier at home or just to hang the clothes dry.

Another man came in to transfer his load that had been sitting in one of the machines done before I even arrived. A grandmother and teen age grand daughter came in. From their conversation, the teen was on her own with a cat. The cat had peed on her laundry. Grandma was keeping her company. They were enjoying their time together.

I noticed the computer guy had slipped out when the place became more busy. I had been tempted to take my laundry home to dry, like the Hispanic family, but nine loads was nine hours at home. For about $1.50 a load I could get them all dry at once.

Then there is the problem of folding all the clothes. At home things get hung up, hopefully at once before they wrinkle. Nine loads was a lot of folding. Three loads though, were just quilts, easy loads. When that soap opera on TV started, I couldn't fold fast enough. What an irritating program. I started to get a head ache and wished I had Tom's I-Pod to listen to.

The laundry is done now, folded neatly and stacked in my car. I think I might wait until the boys get home to help unload. I can put away and hang up everything if they can bring it in. It is going to be more than nine trips if I want to avoid anything falling to the ground. Thank goodness it is a nice day, no rain puddles or mud to contend with. The boys will be home in two hours. The laundry took three hours to complete. I am glad I had a book to read, and that there were plenty of machines available or I would still be there waiting. But with nine loads I really didn't have more than 15 minutes to sit as the first load got done shortly after I got the last load started. The drying cycle gave me a little time, but that was when the families started coming in and it wasn't as quiet and restful.

Folding laundry was tedious and not one of my favorite things to do. I like to hang things up. That is why I think I will wait for the boys to help haul it all in from the car, so my tidy piles don't get wrinkles, after all that effort. It all has to be carried upstairs and put away.
I hope I don't have to do this again before next Wednesday. I think I washed enough underwear for the boys and Tom to get us through the week. Everyone had better wear their old clothes a couple of times over this week. If it doesn't stink or visibly stained wear it again.