Musings from the Laundromat: Twirling Umbrellas and Alien Babies Edition
Someone is twirling the rainbow umbrella furthest from me.
Sitting there and just spinning it.
When I walked in there was no one at the twirling table.
No one at all.
I had the place to myself again for a while.
I saw this sign and after filling my machines, had to take a photo of it for you.
I saw the figure and thought, “It doesn’t look like it fell. Looks like it’s relaxing on the floor.” Then I thought maybe it DID fall, but then was trying to play it off like “I meant to do that.”
If I fell here, I’d hope to look as nonchalant about it as that little figure.
Twirling lady has left. There’s now just a man at the counter chatting with the laundry lady.
I remember loading the machines and leaving. Taking the opportunity to run errands. That was before I mused for you.
Oh, I got my car back Wednesday. And Friday it was back in the shop after overheating.
Got it back the same day, but I’d be lying if I said I’m driving it with any confidence.
I feel like I’m hemorrhaging money when it comes to my car. The fridge is pretty empty.
We DID have leftovers in there for a small time – from my son and his girlfriend. They had been to Vegas and stopped at red lobster.
The leftovers had since run out of ‘time’ so I put some of the crab in the cats kibble bowl. Then I thought I’d do an alien hand thing – and my honey created this. Cracked me up.
The look on Butter’s face is classic.
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Just went and refilled my coffee and was stopped by the laundry lady. We had a little chat.
She made coffee last week for me and I didn’t come. How sweet is she?
“I reset the WIFI and made a pot.”
“Yeah, I was out-of-town.” (Which, is technically true as I was across the river in another state.)
She then told me about another regular that she’s worried about.
She didn’t show up either – she’s undergoing chemo.
“You should get her number next time she comes.” I said. “I bet she’d like having someone check on her.”
“Yeah, I should. I’m the only one she let’s do her laundry.”
I can see why.
I love my laundry lady. ‘My’ laundry lady lol.
But she is mine. Another person I adore in my collection of people I adore. I treasure her. I love that I’m ‘her’ regular too.
To blog or not to blog …
I hurt someone with my last post.
I really didn’t mean to – I straddle that line of honesty and discretion every time my fingers hit the keyboard.
I came across as ungrateful.
That was not my intention either.
The day was amazing – I was sharing the whole of it though, without going into details.
But I’ve done damage.
My blog is up for renewal next month – I’m debating whether or not to keep it. Why? Because I have the awful condition of not being able to shut up.
And I’m too forthcoming for my own good sometimes – and clearly, too forthcoming for others good too.
I don’t want to post watered down, milquetoast writings.
I’ve always wanted and needed to be free in my writing.
And when I write – it’s mostly about what is going on in my life in that moment.
I could sit and do a journalistic piece keeping me, my life, friends and family out of it – but it wouldn’t be authentic.
I’m proud of the interviews I’ve done.
I love my photography category. There’s some good stuff in there.
But what I’ve always needed to do is just … write. And it comes from somewhere inside that I try not to filter too much.
So what to do?
I’m not sure.
But I know I feel awful – and remorseful.
And I never wanted those feelings to come from my writing.
The Menagerie – and the wounds.
My parents cool deck needs some work. They do what they can, but I came out of a day of swimming looking like I’ve been beaten up. I had to explain each wound to my co-workers.
No, he doesn’t hit me.
No, this isn’t a ‘sex’ wound.
No, I didn’t fall down.
I DID take full advantage of the pool. But the coating on the side is like cut glass – and when they’ve spent as much as they have getting the INSIDE suitable for water and swimming, who could blame them for waiting on ‘aesthetics’?
Not me.
But I suffered. Every knuckle. Every knee. Every arm that hung onto the side to chat, then turn to respond to someone – injured. I can LOOK at something and be injured by it. It’s ridiculous. I bruise so easily.
I bleed easily too.
I will not speak of that night. Let’s just say, 95% of it was freaking awesome, and the other 5%? Well, when you have people imbibing and that love one another – shite happens. Because we feel safe being ourselves.
And sometimes ourselves isn’t who we want to be.
Then there was the ‘plank off’ which I INSISTED on – although my very fit mom told me was not a great idea. My core is still hurting today. LOL!
Here’s some pics from the party, then we’ll get to the menagerie.
Fun time was had by all – until it wasn’t a fun time.
I have GOT to learn to let go.
To appreciate what I have and quit living in the past.
ANYWAY – this thing showed up ….
Did I NOT tell Nic “no more critters???”
So, now he has like a dozen fish – a hamster (the first critter, whose name is Scarelett, but forever I will call ‘Scratchy’.) Now a Guinea Pig who looks at me with sad eyes.
I thought tonight, ‘Eff it!’ and brought Butters in. Let her explore the new smell.
She did great! But then … Draper marched in – and I, in my ninja, stupid, only human mode did a tuck and roll onto the floor I’ve only seen in movies.
Was enough to alarm the cat who I’m sure was thinking “What the ‘F’ is she DOING??????” And I twisted my toe.
SO unnecessarily twisted my toe. Add that to the injury list. LOL!
Sorry Paltrow, I can never be a body double, because I maim myself just LOOKING at something.
Animals are settled for the night.
Nic is gone, because he’s saying ‘bye for now’ to his true love going back to college out-of-state – and I have my honey working his arse off for his art.
And wounds.
Wounds I couldn’t let go that 5% of the night.
And very visible wounds I can’t stop saying ‘ouch!’ to today.
Haboob and gratitude
Him: “Let’s go in, it’s really starting to come down.”
Me: “Oh my God, I just had a flash forward … is this us at 80? ‘It’s really comin’ down honey’.”
But when did we become this?
Not ‘we’ as in my honey and I, but ‘we’ meaning … I guess me and my age? Or, the anonymous ‘they’ at my age?
I was always taught by my mother “You’re not made of sugar, you won’t melt.”
I loved that.
I love the rain.
I love the sulphur scent – the asphalt and dirt kicking their unique fragrance into the air.
I love the misting on my body. Especially in the desert.
Love watching the lightning.
Bracing myself for the BOOM! of thunder.
As a result, and probably because I don’t wear a ton of makeup, I’m not afraid to get caught in the rain. (And yes, Pina Coladas and making love at midnight are nice too.)
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I’ll cut to the quick – it’s almost 3 weeks since I’ve had my car.
Today, a dear friend and her husband loaned me their ‘beater’ which is anything but. It’s a trustworthy Toyota.
I was told to go home when a haboob presented itself – crossing the river.
(I did end up getting caught in it, which was bonkers.)
Was nice to be able to just go home – in juxtaposition to yesterday when I waited two hours after work for my son to get off of work and collect me.
Without a car, I feel so impotent.
But then I focused on the good.
That someone WAS coming – that I had a home to go home to bone tired.
That I was safe waiting where I was.
And knowing that NOW, finally, the mechanics are on my side (I really don’t want to go into that whole story, just know, it’s at least a ginormous post worth of negativity – and I don’t need negativity right now.)
Another part has been ordered, I was even offered a cell number to one of the owners and was offered use of his extra car.
Things are looking up.
And tomorrow is my honey’s birthday. SO glad he was born. And I’m gonna go sit back out in the rain – because life is beautiful.
Friends are too.
And here’s an old favorite of mine to put you in my rainy, yet grateful mood. Song is apropos for the time I spent looking for Jim to be back in my life too. God, how I missed him.
Debauchery Soup 