Laundry Meets Yoga = Zen

With a string of days in the high 80's I figured it was a perfect time to take the yoga mats from my home studio to the laundry mat so I could wash them up and then hang them out to dry. My students have been working hard on those mats and my dog has also been giving them a work out. He seems to think my mat is for eating his crunchy food over. Like it's perhaps a giant place mat. Then last week just as class was beginning he arrived to class to let me know what he thought of me by taking a dump on my yoga mat. Yeah, real nice. What a total jerk move. So NOT ZEN Cecil!

The truth is you CAN wash your yoga mat. They do get stinky and dusty and whatever else. You have to do them in a washer that does not have a ringer. I have washed one at a time in a ringer washer along with a cotton bath towel but they can get stuck and friction burned. Trust me, this I know from experience. A little soap and a warm cycle then hang the mat to dry. It comes out brand new!

Finley and I loaded the car with all the mats and headed to the local 24 hour laundry mat on Friday morning. It was quiet at the early hour of the day. We shared the space with only two other women who were having a rather animated discussion about the way to raise children and keep them in line. It could have been a conversation on corporal punishment the differences were so slim. I did make note of some of their advice. Get an education, treat people fairly, mind your business and don't be buying no 80 thousand dollar cars and other fancy stuff. It's just stuff.

I split my twenty plus mats into two oversize washers, put my bills into the machine to make change and then Finley and I set the washing . She stood in front of the washers completely mesmerized by the water filling the washer. She pointed and babbled to herself and me as the wash began spinning. Who knew such an ordinary thing as washing would be such a great entertainment for a 13 month old! I just love how ordinary things like doing the laundry becomes an adventure when I see it through Fin's eyes.

Fins watching the washers fill up with water.

Passing time ...

It was a 23 minute wash. We had time for a snack.

Here she is fixated on the spin cycle. All the colours blending to black.

When we arrived home Hubs strung a rope between the trees and I hung the mats to dry.

It looks kinda festive, eh?

Random Thoughts & Observations

I have had some interesting and random thoughts and observations since becoming a mother. Thought I'd share them. Be forewarned they are nothing if not profound!

• I used to do three colours of laundry, white, light colours, and black. Since having a daughter I now do a FULL PINK load.

• The grocery stores have a cookie club for kids!!! At the Harris Teeter (we call it the Hairy Peter - mature eh?) the KID'S Cookie Club is on an honour system. The sign reads: Please take only one cookie per child. The Plexiglas cookie case is in the produce department. On my before kid weekly shopping trip I had never noticed this display and had never been drawn to it until I spotted several ADULTS sans (that's French for 'without') kids, pushing carts, pause by the display - slide their hand in and take two or three cookies. These adults were not built like they were starving to death and couldn't get enough calories either. Just saying. I have now begun a game of locking eyes with the the childless adults while they steal cookies from kids. I look from their eyes to their hands while I pretend to patiently await my turn to get Finley a cookie. Pure entertainment. The thieves don't look ashamed or guilty to have their hand caught in the cookie jar. They really don't.

• This week I tailed a lady and her husband as they pulled three grocery carts like a set of train cars around the middle isles of the grocery store. I'm an outside isle shopper rarely venturing down the middle isles so this was an adventure. The woman had what looked like an old timey brief case that used to hold cassette tapes, it was open and balanced on the front of the first cart. It had a laminated itemized list or legend of the contents of the box. It was coupons! Seriously yo. This is a person who spends a lot of time organizing and itemizing her coupons. I tried to get a photo but was not sure how I could do it discretely. I was amazed. I am a gal who loves to find a deal and will use coupons but this was so strategic that even my anal retentive, highly organized, neat freak self was amazed. Unfortunately, her carts were full of garbage/ franken foods. The boxes they were packaged in probably held more nutrients - I digress. She was a master at getting a deal maybe even comparable to Yoda.

• I used to consider my dog my baby. Now he's strangely just a dog. I love him but I no longer assign him human character traits and feelings. Well, not as often.

• I do admittedly think my kid is the cutest kid ever created. How's that for a mom observation. Nothing if not profound!

• Snot is a fashion accessory.

• It's okay to have a beer at 4pm if the day warrants it.

• I talk about poo a lot more than ever.