our first little rental apartment, we used to go to the Laundromat every Monday, since it was the slowest night. I’d bring our economy-size jug of Wisk detergent and pour it carefully around the neck of each of Kurt’s and my shirts, hoping to avoid the “collar soil” that would result in the heinous “Ring Around the Collar” described in the Wisk commercials.
Kurt would have taken over the entire length of a folding counter to sort the change we’d saved all week, pocketing the quarters for the evening’s dinner, filling the coin-operated washers and dryers with the nickels and dimes, and rolling the pennies in orange wrappers we’d store in a shoe box until we had enough to take to the bank.
As soon as we got our two jam-packed washing machines going, one for colors and one for whites, we’d stop in at the local pizza place, put in a to-go order, take a walk, then circle back to pick up the single cheese pizza we could afford. On nights when the timing worked out just right, we’d walk into the Laundromat with our dinner as the spin cycle was winding down.
We couldn’t wait until we could afford to buy our own washer and dryer. When Kurt’s parents finally upgraded and handed down their old Harvest Gold Kenmore set, we christened them with a champagne toast as if we’d won the lottery.
Who knew those laundry-and-pizza dates would turn out to be some of the best times of our marriage.
To: Melanie
From: B.J.
Subject: Why Not to Go to Your Reunion on an Empty Stomach
GOLDFISH GET-TO-KNOW-YOU REUNION ICEBREAKER: Ask class officers, cheerleaders, potheads, and other formerly prominent classmates to carry a large bowl of Goldfish snack crackers to each table, instructing everybody to take as many as they wish but not to eat a single one yet. After everybody has a handful, pause a dramatic moment, then inform the crowd that they have to take turns sharing one personal fact with their tablemates for each Goldfish they took.
To: Melanie
From: B.J.
Subject: 5 Reunion Don’ts
1. Junior sizes (even if you can still fit into them)
2. Pantyhose
3. Matching spousefits (outfits for spouses)
4. Mirrored sunglasses
5. A case of water bottles labeled with your business logo that just happened to be in the trunk of your car
“Have I worn you down yet?” B.J. asked when I answered my cell.
“Mirrored sunglasses are a reunion don’t?” I said. “Really?”
B.J. barked a laugh into my ear. “Absolutely. Well, unless you’re Dog the Bounty Hunter. And I think even he’s on borrowed time with the sunglasses indoors look. Anyway, what’s new?”
“Let’s see. I just finished watching an episode of The Flying Nun , and last night I had a dream that Corita Kent asked me to paint something for her.”
“Ha, the Flying Nun part better be a joke. Okay, enough small talk. I’m not hanging up until your flights are booked. And I don’t want to hear any whining about how much the tickets cost. It’s your own damn fault for waiting so long.”
“Okay,” I said. “I’ll go.”
There was dead silence on the other end. I used the time to scroll through my email, just in case something else had come in from Finn in the last three minutes.
B.J. cleared her throat. “Really?”
“I just said I would, didn’t I?”
“What’s going on?”
“Nothing. You talked me into it, that’s all. You’re very persuasive.”
B.J. blew a gust of wind into my ear. “Spill it.”
“There’s nothing to spill.” I took a quick breath. “Hey, do you remember Finn Miller?” I asked, the lure of saying his name out loud impossible to resist.
“Of course I do. You drooled all over him in Algebra and Geometry. Didn’t you two even go out, or almost go out, or something like that?”
I did my best imitation of nonchalant. “I’ll have to check my diary and get back to you.”
“Well, he’s single again, too, you know. And he’s going to the reunion.”
“Gee, what don’t you know?”
“What can I
Kurt would have taken over the entire length of a folding counter to sort the change we’d saved all week, pocketing the quarters for the evening’s dinner, filling the coin-operated washers and dryers with the nickels and dimes, and rolling the pennies in orange wrappers we’d store in a shoe box until we had enough to take to the bank.
As soon as we got our two jam-packed washing machines going, one for colors and one for whites, we’d stop in at the local pizza place, put in a to-go order, take a walk, then circle back to pick up the single cheese pizza we could afford. On nights when the timing worked out just right, we’d walk into the Laundromat with our dinner as the spin cycle was winding down.
We couldn’t wait until we could afford to buy our own washer and dryer. When Kurt’s parents finally upgraded and handed down their old Harvest Gold Kenmore set, we christened them with a champagne toast as if we’d won the lottery.
Who knew those laundry-and-pizza dates would turn out to be some of the best times of our marriage.
To: Melanie
From: B.J.
Subject: Why Not to Go to Your Reunion on an Empty Stomach
GOLDFISH GET-TO-KNOW-YOU REUNION ICEBREAKER: Ask class officers, cheerleaders, potheads, and other formerly prominent classmates to carry a large bowl of Goldfish snack crackers to each table, instructing everybody to take as many as they wish but not to eat a single one yet. After everybody has a handful, pause a dramatic moment, then inform the crowd that they have to take turns sharing one personal fact with their tablemates for each Goldfish they took.
To: Melanie
From: B.J.
Subject: 5 Reunion Don’ts
1. Junior sizes (even if you can still fit into them)
2. Pantyhose
3. Matching spousefits (outfits for spouses)
4. Mirrored sunglasses
5. A case of water bottles labeled with your business logo that just happened to be in the trunk of your car
“Have I worn you down yet?” B.J. asked when I answered my cell.
“Mirrored sunglasses are a reunion don’t?” I said. “Really?”
B.J. barked a laugh into my ear. “Absolutely. Well, unless you’re Dog the Bounty Hunter. And I think even he’s on borrowed time with the sunglasses indoors look. Anyway, what’s new?”
“Let’s see. I just finished watching an episode of The Flying Nun , and last night I had a dream that Corita Kent asked me to paint something for her.”
“Ha, the Flying Nun part better be a joke. Okay, enough small talk. I’m not hanging up until your flights are booked. And I don’t want to hear any whining about how much the tickets cost. It’s your own damn fault for waiting so long.”
“Okay,” I said. “I’ll go.”
There was dead silence on the other end. I used the time to scroll through my email, just in case something else had come in from Finn in the last three minutes.
B.J. cleared her throat. “Really?”
“I just said I would, didn’t I?”
“What’s going on?”
“Nothing. You talked me into it, that’s all. You’re very persuasive.”
B.J. blew a gust of wind into my ear. “Spill it.”
“There’s nothing to spill.” I took a quick breath. “Hey, do you remember Finn Miller?” I asked, the lure of saying his name out loud impossible to resist.
“Of course I do. You drooled all over him in Algebra and Geometry. Didn’t you two even go out, or almost go out, or something like that?”
I did my best imitation of nonchalant. “I’ll have to check my diary and get back to you.”
“Well, he’s single again, too, you know. And he’s going to the reunion.”
“Gee, what don’t you know?”
“What can I
Similar Books
