My Laundry Lady isn’t here.

(She does have a name – I just try to keep my ‘characters’ somewhat anonymous.)

I asked the owner about her, knowing she’s had some health issues lately.

“Oh she’ll be back to mornings – she’s covering nights until I can hire someone new.”

Phew!

But strange isn’t it when someone or something that is a part of your routine, your life is suddenly not there.

Much like the divot I keep running my tongue over after having broken my tooth Friday – there is a tangible feeling of absence.

I look forward to our Sunday mornings.  I’ve been coming here for over 5 years now.  52 weeks a year.  Over 260 mornings with my Laundry Lady.

Crap, if I think about it – I’ve spent more Sunday mornings with her than any one man other than my son.  How’s THAT for an example of my ability to have a relationship?

Of course, there’s Glaucoma Man – who, was Chatty Charlie again this morning.

He compared someone in his RV park to a ‘Gadfly’ and proceeded to show me by example what that was.

He switched topics so quickly and so energetically that we (by we, I mean ‘he’)  had covered almost a subject for every item I retrieved from my laundry baskets and placed in the washing machine.

(As I was typing that last paragraph, he visited my table to read me something.)

Let’s face it though, I’d miss him too if he weren’t here.  Which, he is – again, showing me his new stun gun and telling me about his sniper rifle that he still has.

Good to know.  Gooooood to know.

And suddenly I’m very glad I’m kind to him.