1.
this evening i did a load of wash for the second time at the laundromat on clay street. the first time was a little bit un-nerving, trying to look smooth while figuring out how these things work and all. i mean, seriously, there is nothing worse than looking clueless at a laundromat. i have no problem asking for directions when i drive somewhere and get lost, but it seems a fair deal more shameful to admit your need for help when it comes to laundry. it seems like something we should all just inherently know.

this laundromat is in a mini-strip-mall that also features an asian food market and a beer store. if you are of a similar demographic as i am and you are bored with being around people just like you all the time, you should hang out in this mini-strip-mall. asians frequent the asian market (shocking!), and probably two-thirds of those with business in the beer store or the laundromat are blacks and latinos. while i was sitting on the bench out on the sidewalk, reading a book while my clothes swirled around inside, a middle-aged white guy on a bicycle rolled up and went into the beer store. he had a basket on the back of his bike and in this basket was a portable radio. as he rolled away, i got an earful of linkin park for the first time in about four years, and i noticed that a small brown paper bag now accompanied the radio in the basket.

2.
also, here is a really interesting blog i came across.