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I was at the laundromat this morning. I had to take my comforter in because my lovely little puppy decided it made for a good toilet and pee'd on it.

Anyways, while I was there all these old memories popped up of my childhood and having to go with my mom once a week to help her wash and sort the laundry.

Of course at the time it was a "treat" to go. At least for me it was. See, every time I went with her I'd make a new friend whether it'd be a kid from school or a lonely old lady needing the company or whatever.

It's also where I had the best conversations with my mom. AND where I got all the good gossip from listening to her and whatever comadre she'd be talking to who happened to be washing her clothes there at the same time.

"fijate que..."

"AY No me digas! Apoco?"

Then there was the trip to the mini mart next door when we ran out of dimes and of course my mom gave me extra money to buy myself a little treat.

Yes, the laundry mat was a good time for me full of awesome memories.

Of course then I became a mother and going to laundromat was a chore and half. With two kids in tow, I'd take off with my baskets full of dirty clothes and my rolls of quarters. Trying to hold my kids hands so they wouldn't run off and hang on to the baskets at the same time as not an easy thing.

It was tough.

Then of course trying to keep my kids entertained enough to where they wouldn't ask, "Are we almost done yet? How bout YET? NOT YET? How much longer?"

I can't imagine how mi mami did it without losing her sanity all those years.

Of course now that my kids are older and I don't have to worry about them anymore and going to the laundromat is once more like it was when I was child. I sit there and people watch.

Or I pretend like I'm reading a book and eavesdrop on conversations and catch up on all the "good gossip" of people I'll never meet and situations that may never affect me.

It's better than a soap opera. Actually it's better than any reality t.v. show you watch because it's REAL and I'm a part of it. Sort of.

It was nice. And even in the middle of all the commotion of washing machines swooshing, and dryers spinning, and mothers yelling, and kids crying, and couples arguing, and old men smoking, it was quiet. And it was sorta kinda a little bit of "me" time.

I sat back, absorbed it all, let it all sink in. I was reliving all those neat laundromat childhood memories. And it was nice.