Getting Clean

Yesterday, I went to a laundromat for the first time in a long time.  The most convenient was a place called “Duds and Suds”.  I thought it sounded like a great place to not only wash clothes, but grab a cold beer.  It was Monday at 1pm and I wasn’t planning on having a beer, but thought I’d check the place out for future washing and boozing needs.  I was extremely sad to see that while there were plenty of washers and dryers, there was not a drop of beer to be found.  I thought that maybe I had misinterpreted the name…maybe the name “Duds and Suds” only referred to the suds that were formed while washing your duds…

Begrudgingly, I filled up three washers with our week’s worth of clothing and plugged in my quarters.  I sat down to wait for the washers to run their cycle when, what did I see but this sign:

False advertising at it’s best!

A bubbling basket of clothing meets a frothy mug of beer!  In stained glass no less!  So, where the hell did the beer go?

After some complaining on Facebook, I learned that this establishment did indeed have a bar at one time.  Who knows why it doesn’t any longer.  The only way to quench my thirst there now is with one of the lukewarm pops from the machine.

Bathing has been an interesting process while in the camper as well.  We have three options.  The first is the shower in the camper.  The hot water heater is not working in the camper, so if you select this option, you are taking a cold shower.  It has been 90+ degrees every day, so this doesn’t seem like the worst idea, but the A/C in the camper keeps it nice and cool in there.  Plus, there is an A/C vent just outside the shower door, so not only do you have a chilly shower, but you get blasted with arctic air when you get out of the shower.  Sean has chosen this as his bathing method of choice.  I have done it once and likely won’t do it again.  I have not subjected the kids to this torture.

The second option is the Sun Shower set up.  We have two 5 gallon sun showers which, when left in the sun all day, get really hot.  Too hot.  So, I’ve learned that if you fill it about half full (optimism, folks!), leave it in the sun all day, then fill it the rest of the way with water from the hose, the temp is perfection.  I bought a shower “enclosure” from the camping section of the store that sits behind the camper.  This option offers a perfectly heated shower, but the shower head hangs at your knees and is difficult to open with soapy hands.  You also can’t shower in the morning because the water hasn’t had a chance to heat up.  I have also bathed this way once, but it is becoming my preferred method the more options I try.  This is also the best option for the kids.

The third option is to “army shower” in the sink in the shop.  If you aren’t familiar with an “army shower” it is simply washing your face, hair, armpits, and crotch in the sink.  This is the only way to get real water pressure, isn’t as cold as the camper (the water isn’t heated, but the shop isn’t cooled either), but you also don’t get the fully “clean” feeling either.  This is what I chose today because I wanted the water pressure to get my hair washed well.  Afterwards, I decided to actually dry my hair with the hair dryer for the first time in over a week!  What luxury!

The youngest is going to a friend’s house tonight….maybe he can shower there.