Keeping On--Part Three: Surmounting Obstacles and Set-Backs

Six weeks from when I first got sick.  I'm a lot better, but my energy ebbs and flows.  But it's my eyes that keep bothering me.  They're red and itchy.  Some mornings they're still gooey, too.  The photosensitivity is the worst, since I love the sun so much, and it makes me feel so much better.


Not that we've seen the sun as often as we usually would in June.  So much rain has made it difficult to get anything out of the shed.  I really wanted to go through more of that stuff and get the space cleared so Brittany could use the shed for her stuff.  And, when it's not raining, it gets to 100° heat index.


Then, our washing machine broke down.  Again.  This time, it was the transmission.  To fix it would cost as much--or more-- than a new washer. It died 11 days before my payday.  That was a loooooonnngg 11 days.  A week later, I acceded to cleanliness and went to a laundromat.


It'd been 25 years since I was in a laundromat.  The number one thing I hated about laundromats was that they were so dirty.  The floors, walls, even the exterior of the machines were messy.  The bill-changers were usually broken and the soap dispensers empty.  Now, I knew there were nicer places, but I'd have to drive quite a ways to find them.


My brother told my mother about a place he used when he would travel.  It's a drop off & pick up place, but also a coinless laundromat.  It was clean (relatively) and neat.  So I went there.  Holy rip-offs, batperson!  It cost $3 just to get a card!  Then you had to load it with money to operate the machines.  The double-capacity front loaders were $2.89.  Dryers were 39¢ for ten minutes.  I was going to wash AND dry, but I ended up having three loads instead of just two and I was out of money.  Ah, so I had to lug three double-loads of laundry home to dry.  Well, I should've known when I saw that the place had a website and several locations.  On top of that, I forgot the laundry detergent and had to buy some at Ace Hardware.

But I had to keep on keeping on.

I can keep my eyes fairly comfortable with allergy eyedrops.  I change my pillow case every day and the pillow cover every other day.  And I have an appointment with my ophthamologist at the end of July.

There is little I can do about the weather, except pray.  I try to take advantage of any break, but I've resigned myself to leave the shed for another pick up time.

At the Soap Opera Laundry, the clerk was very polite and accommodating.  The clerk walked me through buying and loading the card, gave me tips on the best machines and the best deals.  The washers took about 30 minutes.  After I had loaded the wet laundry into the bags, I realized how heavy they were.  I left them on the cart and wheeled it to the front, intending to get the car and bring it to the door, since there was a sign that said "Carts Must Remain Inside".  The clerk, however, said I could take it to the car.  That was very helpful.  And when I brought the cart back to the door, the clerk came out and got it.  It was also a pleasant day.

Sometimes, just getting up in the morning is an achievement.  Keeping my mouth shut when I want to scream is an accomplishment.  And--sometimes--keeping on is...

...a monumental effort.