reminder.

got a few things that had been nagging us fixed on the car this past week.

just a 'few naggy things' = $850.00

uh huh.

what does that mean?

well, it means that on our four day 'vacation'/weekend/family time/no work all play time

OUR WASHING MACHINE 

bites the dust.

that's what it means.

and, no, we don't have one of those cheap o' just go buy a new washer washing machines.

no.

we upgraded six months ago so we wouldn't have to deal with that for a very long time and so we could do bigger loads and be earth friendly, etc....

seriously.

I walked down every hour or so to see if Jake was still alive and no joke, every time I went down there he had a computer chip in his hand.

it's a washing machine....no, it's a computer, no, it's a washing machine, no, it's a computer....

it's a washing machine with an identity crisis if you ask me!

so, he's probably figured it out but it's Memorial Day weekend and that equals - CLOSED parts stores ;-)

oh yeah.

Monday is typically the big laundry day around here.

that would be tomorrow and there is no washer in sight.

So, after church, we just loaded all the 9 loads of laundry up (I didn't take a whole lot of linen with me - we'll just have to do!), I stopped and used a gift certificate to get a:

24 oz. Peanut Butter Espresso Smoothie with Soy Milk

at my fav' coffee stop.

Heaven I tell you...heaven.

and a HUGE heaven at that.

I think I actually sang to it.

Anyway, got the washers loaded 

(brought back memories of being a kid and moving all the time - let's just say that being in a laundry mat is not a life skill I missed out on - it was like riding a bike!)

called everyone on my list that I have been wanting to call for a long long time but knew I'd need peace, quiet and a large chunk of time.

mostly left messages but it still felt good to let them know I was thinking of them!

moved the laundry to the dryers - and now I'm feeling kinda like a very thirsty Wonder Woman on speed - maybe that was a little too much caffeine???

needed more quarters.

drove to the nearest convenience store, acquired the largest cold water I could (laundry mat's are super duper nasty hot inside and it was 85 degrees here with rain clouds looming = HUMIDITY!), and I was still moving at warp speed due to the 24 oz'er.

back to the l.mat.

dryers are cranked.

cracked open a book I got on teaching a child to read and was just a tad excited about all it had to say - it's like they took all my philosophies and crammed them into a reading program - it's also like it was custom made for Lydia - 

I have pages and pages of notes and I'm just through the preface, forward and intro ;-)

LOVING it!

(The Spalding Method - The Writing Road to Reading - been around a while apparently)

3 hours later - caffeine still in my system.

2 bottles of water downed.

need to pee - no t.p. in laundry mat bathroom

no big deal.  I'm a mom.  with children that just pee anywhere and anytime.

I have wipes.

And I even left the package for the poor soul after me who may not be a mommy ;-).

3 hours later.......done.

everything's dry and folded - phone calls made, book started - sweaty and jittery and it was long but it was a great trip!

hit up the grocery store for grilling ingredients - it's just too pretty out to cook inside.

home, dinner, play for a minute.

caffeine is STILL in my system.

that's ok because I have 12 loads of laundry to put away (there were three clean here that I just hadn't messed with in a week.....it happens!)

I mean, I'm telling you, I drank that thing at 2pm and it's now 11:32pm  - 

I CAN STILL FEEL IT.

from 7 to 9pm:

Two bathrooms cleaned....I mean, really cleaned, 1 closet gone through, 1 huge bag of clothes to donate, 1 bedroom (that was really really messy) cleaned, 12 loads of laundry put away, both girls rooms completely cleaned and vacuumed.....

and I could keep going ;-)

so, just a few reminders for the next time I pay $850 to get the car fixed, the washer breaks on a holiday weekend, I decide to take all the laundry to the laundry mat and get a 24 oz. Peanut Butter Espresso Smoothie with Soy Milk on the way.....

#1 - know that when you pay large amounts of money to get things fixed....something else expensive WILL break.

#2 - next time, get a 6 oz Peanut Butter Espresso Smoothie with Soy Milk, not a 24 oz.

#3 - bring toilet paper to laundry mat.

I'm going to go attempt to tell myself that I really am tired and I really do want to sleep - it's just the Espresso talking.

(and see, except for the wipes - which were very important - this all happened to me WITH OUT KIDS - maybe it's not them ;-)????)