Laundro-mess

This has been a bone of contention I've held with the entire world for a long time now: why oh why, are laundromats such god-awful horrid places where no one in their right mind would want to spend their precious evenings and weekends?

There is no way to multi-task at a laundromat.  Okay okay... when I was in grad school or college it was the perfect place to discipline myself, or rather, strand myself, with a book that I was dreading to read.  More often than not however, I find the laundromat to be creepy, dirty, and basically the last place on earth I want to be detained for three or four hours.

I have been wondering why no one has made an awesome laundromat for years now.  I had an idea for one I wanted to name the sit and spin, it would be a coffee bar/lounge with free wifi during the day, and a bar at night, there would be great music, comfy couches, and yummy cookies and snacks.  Sadly, I learned that there already is a sit and spin in SF, and it is such a disappointment, it just your average dingy laundromat. 

My second idea was the yogamat.  It would be a place where 45-minute long exercise classes started every hour on the hour and there would be a juice bar with free wifi, and washers and dryers of course.  You could put in your wash, join the next class and be done in time to move the laundry forward, then you could jump back into another class or hang out at the juice bar until the dry cycle is all done! 

I just need a funder, but I think I am onto something here.  I have to disclose that I have moved up in the world and have my very own washer and dryer in my condo.  So why do I care about the laundromess of the world?  Well, I always utilized my local wash, dry and fold service since I just couldn't stand to spend a precious Saturday in that god-forsaken place called the laundromat.  Moreover, my friends now use my washer and dryer from time to time.  I don't mind it at all, I just feel badly that their choice, when I'm not around to shelter them while they launder, is to shell out a dollar a pound for wash, dry and fold service, or to sacrifice and entire afternoon to the scornful laundromat gods.  Just today Megan was hoping to hang out and do her laundry, but I have plans for the afternoon and evening.  I feel badly that I can't accommodate her, but more badly that I know the dingy fate that awaits her on such a gorgeous day, not to metion the last weekend day before our students come back :(

During the L word season I'd tivo the HD version of the show and Bekah would come over to watch and do her laundry, but during summer its hard to offer my friends a weekend afternoon when I am interested in being here for a few hours.  Maybe my contribution to the world won't be letting my friends do their laundry here, or creating good schools for inner-city youth, or creating community for queerspawn, but creating laundromats that are fun, productive places to be.