The Great Laundry Debacle

I have been so focused on work that I have failed to tell some rather interesting stories. 

Let’s start with the great laundry debacle.  For every ten Modular Houses (MOD) there is a MilVan converted into a laundry facility.  It contains ten washers, ten dryers, and a small washtub of a sink.  It is a rare occurrence that this facility contains an available washer/dryer.  When I am running short on clean clothes, but not so short to cause an emergency where I have to sit on a washer to reserve it, I look in the windows of the laundry facility as I walk to my MOD from work to see if there is a washer available.  If there is not an open washer, I don’t do laundry. 

I was coming up on a laundry day as I was running short on underwear, so when my roommate announced she was going to do laundry, I asked her to let me know if there was an available washer upon her return.  On my walk back from work, there were none available, so I did not hold my breath.  Surprisingly, she announced there were two washers that would soon be available.  I gathered my laundry, threw a Tide pod in my bag and followed her to the laundry facility. 

There was a male and a female staring attentively at washers that I can only assume contain their own clothes.  Both washers indicated they were on their final spin cycle and were spinning viciously until attaining the turbo hum of a washer spinning as fast as it could.  As my roommate and I wait, she notices one of the washers is unplugged and half full of water.  As her nature would predict, she commenced an investigation of the problem determined to make it functional again.  She plugged it back in doing some trapeze move that she shouldn’t be doing at her age and turned it to a spin cycle to rid it of the standing water. 

The male’s washer completed its cycle and he removed his clothes to find a dryer.  My roommate put her clothes in his washer, continued to “fix” the broken washer, and I stood there observing and waiting for the female’s washer to complete its final spin cycle. 

Thinking I was distracted by my roommate twisting knobs and testing the broken washer, the female’s spin cycle finished and she quickly spun the knob to “Spin Only” and pushed the start button once again.  “Are you kidding me?!” I thought, “This girl knows there is a line for washers, her laundry is clean, spun, and ready for a dryer.  What is the need for an additional spin cycle?”  My jaw almost hit the floor and my fist almost hit her face.  This was not going to solve anything, so, yes, I held back.  I couldn’t even say anything because there is nothing you can do but wait once the start button is pushed and the washer door is locked. 

To add to my shock, as my roommate left the laundry facility, she looked at me pointing to the broken washer and said, “That washer is rinsed and good if you want to use it.”  My thoughts, “Are you kidding me?!  The washer that she supposedly fixed had standing water in it for God knows how long, and she expects me to use it without rinsing it out with bleach first?” 

I waited a moment taking a few deep breaths, reminding myself that she only had good intentions, and returned to my room.  I told my roommate politely that I had given up on cleaning my clothes for the night explaining the actions of the girl I wanted to punch.  I distracted myself with my amazing iPad, made a cup of sleepy tea, and prepared to call it a night. 

The final straw was when my roommate returned with her clean laundry and informed me there were several open washers available.  It was 11pm.  I wake up at 5am.  I informed her that I was good, crawled under my covers and went to sleep anxious for a new day.

A few days later, I walked past the laundry facility on my way back from work to find five of six washers open.  I ran to my room, ripped patches off my uniform, emptied pockets, threw off my uniform, threw on some PT shorts and shoes,  grabbed my laundry bag that still had the Tide pod contained within, grabbed an extra Tide pod just in case, and ran to the laundry facility.  I had so much laundry that I could not fit it all in one washer.  Good thing there were four still available and I brought extra detergent.  Once two machines were evenly full of my dirty nasty clothes I laughed out of pure excitement of the moment.  I set my watch for 40 minutes and returned to my room.  I could not contain my happiness any further.  I started to dance and sang whatever words popped into my head.  I think it went like this, “I’m doing laundry, I’m doing laundry, I’m doing laundry, hey, hey, hey, hey!”  To the tune of Buckwheat’s “I got a pickle” song from “The Little Rascals.” 

Yes, let that mental picture make your day.  =)