There is a trick, see….I thought, “Wow….25 for ten minutes of dryer time. Ok. That seems about right.” And as I go to sit on the bench provided to wait for dry clothes, I passed ANOTHER dryer that was $1 for an undisclosed amount of time…but turned out to be almost 42 minutes.
I know this is an interruption to my Rockrgrl Conference. Please forgive me for interrupting myself mid-flow.
Me: Should we talk about WHY we are interrupting the Rockrgrl Conference stories?
Me, Again: Yes, I think others should understand what happened…
Me: There are so many people who think it means someone is dirty…
Me, Again: Well, that’s just foolishness. We have a very clean house…although, I must say, there are a lot of crayons and
drawings strewn everywhere. What’s with that?
Me: As if you don’t know! Stop being coy. Ok, then I’m going to talk about it…
Me, Again: (Big sucking in of air, hands up, spooky eyeballs wide and staring…)
Me: Cut that out!
Me, Again: Ok, ok.
Me: One of our children had lice yesterday.
Me, Again: Oh…..you’ve done it now….
Me: Hey! Whose side are you on?!
Me, Again: Kidding…chill out!
Me: Yes, we had a call from the school, and several kids in the class had lice, and….after all these years of making it lice free through pre-school and on, here we are….we finally got them….
Me, Again: So, that’s how you ended up at the laundrymat?
Me: Well, you were there! Would you give up the drama, already?
Me, Again: Well, it makes for good reading when you are talking to yourself….
Me: That’s true…Anyway…so, yes, I brought our baby home and, at first, I couldn’t see ANYTHING….so, I called the school to say, “Nope, she’s clear and free!” and then I gave her a nice bath and washed her hair (washing and washing….) and then, as I was blow-drying her soft hair, I saw one….ICK!!! I couldn’t believe how CRUEL they look….they have PINCERS!!!
Me, Again: Ooh…What?! Pincers? What are these creatures? How disgusting!
Me: You know it….I was very calm, but I was so mad inside that these little bugs were THERE. So, I’m cleaning hair and ask Teresa to stay with our loved one while I rush to the store to get the Lice Rid stuff and the metal comb and then back home and start laundry madness….And the teacher calls with the BEST advice (I told her she gave good lice advice…ha ha!) And there was my sweet pea, PRAYING for the lice that were dead, and I thought to myself….
Me, again: Yes?
Me: I thought, “Isn’t that beautiful….here are these yucky bugs….and my child isn’t freaking out or grossed out about it, she’s praying to God for the little dead bugs…!” It totally changed the way I saw these bugs. They weren’t bad. They were just doing their thing and it is a huge inconvenience, but there is beauty in everything. There is some purpose….even if it was just for me to be reminded that all life is sacred through my daughter’s wisdom.
Me, again: And they have Famous Amos cookies at the laundrymat.
Me: Yes, that was something else I learned while I was there.
Me, again: And what else…? Come on….
Me: And that my husband is fabulous because he got home from work and we did laundry on a night when we were supposed to have a hot date with friends and he NEVER once said anything about it….he just jumped right in and we cleaned the house
and loved our child and that is the best date of all…..simply being.
Me, again: Simply being in a clean house makes it EXTRA super, though, doesn’t it?
Me: You know, I think I like how you think.
Me, again: Ha ha. I knew you were going to say that!