LAUNDRY MAT

Why do we call it a Laundry "Mat"? Funny how you refer to something all of your life and then when you decide to write about it, it sounds odd! When I was growing up, sometimes we had to go to "town" and go to the laundry mat. Either the washer and dryer were not functioning, or mom just decided to get all of the laundry "done" at one time. Anyhow, when it became "in town laundry day"...it was exciting for a little girl........first, we had to find a "bunch" of quarters, then we had to separate the clothes, pull out all of the laundry baskets, gather the hangers.....laundry detergent.........etc............... I thought it was cool. My favorite part was getting to get a snack out of the vending machines! I would look at the bulletin boards and see what all was posted....seems like alot of babysitting want~a~beeees..........but my most favorite part was watching the laundry mat attendant! It was cool how they wiped down the washing machines after one was used......they would wipe down the clothes folding tables........... I thought that was the coolest job in the world! Of course, I quickly out grew that desire the older I got!

After I married Randy, laundry day would come all too fast! He worked on the farm with my dad! He wore most of the grease and dirt home on his clothes..........then I learned about "pre~treating". I also began ironing ............not so good at first though. One day, Randy and dad were at the "coffee" shop and dad happened to look at Randys "button" shirt...then he looked down at his "button" shirt...........both were kinda wrinkled but the part where the buttons were was flipped over in an un~canny crease!! Dad said something like "I guess they do laundry alike"..... oh well...........

Through the years, I ironed EVERYTHING.........jeans, T~shirts, polos, dress shirts............I became good..........no, I became....."one with the iron"!!!! Now that the girls are gone........I have gotten extremely lax on ironing.............. I still love the nice "crisp" feel of freshly ironed fabric.......but I do not stress over it though. Ok....now let me get back to the laundry mat business..........

I still go to the laundry Mat when I wash my bed spread.............or............when I have a failure of my washer or dryer............ my, how things have changed. When I used to go.........I would dig through the couches, pockets, purses...to gather enough quarters for the machines...........All the machines..........yes, vending too! Ten dollars would go a long way and sometimes I would have some left over. Now........it is different! Yes, very different. The place that I go to ...the machines do not take quarters..............they do not take "money"... I looked like a goof~ball the first time I tried to use the "new fangled" laundry mat. Some of the washing machines look different... kinda like little dryers.......they have numbers on them ........ like 45.....and 25.........it took me several visits before I realized that was just a fancy way of saying..."bigger than regular loads" and "big, big loads"...or "the mother load"!! The washing machines used to cost maybe 50 cents.....now..............the "Big Mama" cost about $3.50 a load..............the dryers..........go figure.....24 cents for a few minutes...............so now you wonder how I pay for these things..:::::

You NEED to take alot of cash... I mean alot "presidential flashcards"...........then you go to this wall that looks something like Las Vegas......... hmmmmmmm.... ok......so you need to get a "card", looks like a credit card..........but it will cost you a dollar! Then you can "fill~up" the card with moola.......you can only use $5 dollar bills or $1 dollar bills........... so I stand there with a $20.00 dollar bill............hmmmm..........then there is the "change maker".... I put the $20 in and got back 4 crisp $5 dollar bills........... Then I move back to the card machine and put in one bill at a time to "load my card".............. The card is now filled with $$$$$ and I am ready to go..........

So.... this week was one of those weeks.........my dryer had a bearing "going out"........you could hear it for "miles"............Randy was leaving town, so I had to have him some clothes........... so off to the "laundry mat". It was a monday evening...............what ever happened to everyone getting their laundry "done" on the weekend? The place was packed. I was not about to try to find another one..........it took me too long to figure out how to use this one. Since I do not go very often....... I do not have any laundry baskets :( but thats ok......... I've got trash bags and paper sacks............yeah buddy.......... I was cool............. I hauled everything in........spotted out every "open" washing machine.......... I am sure I was "stared" at.........but I managed to "load" my money card without looking stupid! Everything started.......ahhhhhhh...........just my favorite part...the vending machine.........got me a diet coke and peanut butter cheese crackers! Perfect.

So I look around me..........young couple with baby.........a little arguing..........baby crying.....kid fussing.......guys around looking like the "walking" dead.........the late 50ish guy flirting with the late 40ish woman......yuck, grossed me out! Two college girls came in together.......they sounded like roomates....one dropped some clothes on the floor...she must have picked up a pair of panties that would fit barbie....damn her........mine look like they would fit "mama cass"..... The attendant.....awwww........he has a good job...... wipes everything........keeps everything clean........brings back memories....... washing machines almost finished.........had to spot out a "clothes folding table".........found one........life is good! Then the 2 college girls grabbed the two tables next to me....no, they were not folding clothes........they were sitting on the tables, one studying and one talking on her phone...........the nerve of them!! I was taught it was rude to sit on tables......and it was rude to take up a table if you were not folding clothes yet!!! I got to hear the whole phone convo..... lots of 4 letter words!! hmmmmmm....... I just wondered what their mothers would say it they could see the rudeness....... oh well...........they probably learned it from their moms! I am glad that I had a good teacher.............Mom taught me well. Thank you mom!

As I finish up the laundry............I realize how blessed I am to not have to grace this place weekly............it is expensive...........it is crazy...........it is fun.............. it is different.......... it is not so bad afterall.......... I load up my clean clothes in my brown paper sacks.... haul them all out to the car..........go back in to "double check" that I picked up everything.........Done! All the laundry is "done".......took about 2 1/2 hours............take a deep breath..........fabric softner.......smells good doesn't it? .....Yes, life is good!