so we are ready now, to find out more about this Joy Cloth….
I went to a laundromat today. Alyssia has been doing my laundry at her place in Chico for a year. This month, her washer has been giving up the ghost. So off to the laundromat. This is the first one i've found. And receives the first less than glowing review of Things in California. It was awfull. Almost none of the machines worked…washers, dryers, taped over or just missing the thing that receives the coins. And it's on a main throughofare corner…???? like, not on some sidestreet…in a little strip of Subway, Autozone and UPS. it's the 4th thing. It was aesthetically worse than any laundromat i've ever been to…like in downtown Detroit in the 60's. My kind of dumpy laundromat, the Bubble Machine, in Socorro was State of the Art in comparison. ?????? Why? When there is talk of infrastructure, a laundromat is critical. What's going on here????
There was only another couple there when i arrived. Were they "street people" or just folks living in the margin? I don't know, but like me they stuffed their stuff in two of the 5 functional washing machines. They got the big one. Then, another man came. He had to wait.
The JOY here, though, is that the dryer i picked out of 3 functional in a row of 12, WORKED. and not only did it work, but somehow magically went on and on and on with only one quarter. It never stopped. The second dryer i picked also worked but took 2 quarters, till i transferred it's contents into the going forever dryer. When i took all my stuff out i told the man about it and he put his stuff in and it was still whirring along. The silver lining, ? I'll try a different place next time.
At the Post Office i learned more. Long line again and i know now that it will be that way for the forseeable future. Months. Still, all the residents of Paradise, Concow and Magalia get their mail there. I learned to day that even if your home was left standing amidst all the ones that burned, there is great difficulty. Wells are nonfunctional, the homeowner is responsible for replacing the electric pole, septics are in ruins, water lines. The homes themselves…interiors are needing to be gutted, walls and floors, smoke and heat damaged. The woman said that being the only building standing on her road, her home was inundated with mice. that took shelter. People are more subdued now. There is still greeting and hugging, but it's quiet. Faces are haggared. The long haul has begun. I heard that if you receive Cal Fresh, California food stamps, food assistance, any purchases made on your card in the month prior to the day of the Fire has been re added to your balance. Food gone bad. Food burned. California is kind.
windthread 
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