All's Well That Ends Well ....

When they were coming up with the great literary themes, one was somehow forgotten.

I speak, of course, of Man Versus Laundromat.

As you may remember, I had an Adventure in Landromatting last Friday from which I emerged the decisive LOSER.

I took up the gauntlet again yesterday afternoon, in hopes of killing the beast.

Here is my timeless tale ....

So I got home from work and looked at my laundry, still packed up in its going out bags and decided I must do this now, or all will be lost.

On Saturday, the day after disaster, I had gone to the previously padlocked laundromat and gotten change from its (working!!) change machine. So I had six dollars worth of quarters to work with, plus about $3.50 plucked from my change basket.

AND! I had a five and two ones for back up.

So ... ever cautious, I ventured out with just one load, to make sure everything was copacetic. It seemed so ... and I went back, with two HUGE loads.

I loaded up the machines, and started up the washers. My clothes chugged wetly, merrily, shedding their soil within horizontal cylinders. I breathed in the anticipation of fresh sheets, fluffy towels and warm snuggly pajamas.

But wait! I had washed so many clothes, I needed MORE QUARTERS, so that they could dry properly.

No worries, I thought. Here's a five dollar bill in my pocket. There's the change machine, the one I had used successfully on Saturday, on the wall. I approached, and held out my bill like an offering. The machine sucked it up .... hungrily ... greedily.

And failed to dispense the damn quarters. Gah!! WHY?? WHY am i being punished??

There's nothing to do but to go to three corner stores until I found one that would make change for me. The man behind the counter gave me four dollars worth of quarters and charged me fifty cents for the privilege. But I had nowhere else to turn! As you may remember, every laundromat's change machine within a three block radius was refusing to dispense change.

I was NOT defeated. I had quarters, even though my hoard was sadly depleted, and I must make every quarter now in my hand COUNT.

Back to the seventh circle of hell, I loaded my clothes in giant dryers. I then went home to seek solace in the form of Noodle.

But, my work was not yet done. I still had to remove my clean laundry from the dryers, fold it, and lug it home. Victory was within my grasp!!

So, I trudged back to the laundromat. The first dryer: done. Most articles were dry. Except one bathroom rug. I went to throw that into the other dryer, which was still running.

That's when I discovered the HEAT in the running dryer wasn't working!!

I almost threw in the towel (heh) at that point. My clothes were damp, but what did I care? Then I tried to imagine dragging damp clothes home ... and realized: that would signal failure. It was NOT an option.

So, again: I returned home. I scraped the bottom of every purse I own and came up with five quarters. Hopefully enough to put these articles in a dryer that works.

I returned and started up a new dryer. This time, I intended to remain on site to make sure I got my 35 minutes worth of hot air.

That's when a lady slipped in. She puttered around a minute ... then went into a locked back room. I realize ... this lady WORKS here!

I explained what happened with the change machine and she handed me five dollars worth of quarters!

At that moment, I realized the Universe had taken an active role.

It saw that I needed that money, so turned the heat off in one of the dryers I was using, to ensure that I'd be on the premises when the lady came in! Isn't that neat? (sure, I wasted two dollars on an hour's worth of cold air, but the Universe's work, is, by design ... somewhat circular.

Yay! Universe!!

From now on, after I'm done wearing something, I'm throwing it away.

xoxoxo kisses!