there's an urge to say things that are really more dramatic than true. But, eeeeeee
you might remember my first foray. Well, this time i went to the different one on Lincoln Ave. Same general area tho…the central business district. Walked in with an arm load of my jacket, the duvet, sheets. Up and down the rows of machines and all the ones not in use had out of order post its. Down toward the far end was a maybe and next to it was a woman using a jack knife on the coin slot next to it. Which i took note of, but was thinking, well, ok, no out of order sign on this one and as i reached in my pocket for the quarters, she turned, tho still bent at her task, put her hand up and said NO! NOT WORK! So i just turned around and left. Off to the last laundromat i know of over on Meyers. Shown Above. It was painted a nice green color some years ago. Probably half of the machines, tho quite a few were new, were out of order. And it was busy. Like bizzy. and a variety of kinds of people, more so than the other two. I'm learning the ropes. You walk around, slow, and look at the machines that are running, see how many minutes there are left. Almost always their "person" is standing there, near by, waiting and you ask…it's good? And if the answer is affirmative, you stand near, laundry ready and when they take theirs out, you put yours in. Today the woman had 4 and 7 minutes but also told me that the guy on the other side was giving her his dryer and it was a hot one so to watch and i could follow her there. People are very helpful this way.
And as it has been, there is much conversation about the Fire. Many customers are displaced persons. I listened to two nearby conversations, long, and had begun with just a neutral exchange, but rolled into the Fire. People are not done retelling. They tell it. over and over. The woman who i followed went to a folding table just near and a guy eating gumdrops was there and that's one of the conversations i heard in it's entirety. She hadn't gone back once. Not once up that road to Paradise. She says she never will. Ever. She's done. They are living in an RV park. Rented RV. They don't know what's next. Haven't gotten that far. Right now she's just doing laundry. There was a guy in the parking lot next to me, his truck door open as he talked on the phone about trying to find someplace to go. There's no place to go. He can't live in the city, but there's no place to go. He went on and on about what all he's looked into. Two old people sat together on a bumper in parking lot…were not together, but passing time in a friendly way, talking about having been displaced too. They smiled a lot and i felt good from their vibes. A young woman with two little kids, maybe 3 and 4 finished folding her stuff, packing it up and went by to the street with it, the curb and one of the B Line buses pulled up, she went back in coming out with a child car seat and loaded them all in the bus. I think she just lives in the city. Not a Fire person.
So it got done. My clothes are clean. Tonight i will have a fragrant duvet cover, my quilt. Alyssia got an apartment sized combo washer and dryer for the new place on Craigs List. Once she's settled, it's thought that i can do small loads there. Maybe.
windthread 
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