Rae Uncovers Our Dirty Laundry

Sunset on the Land

One of the blogs I read today reminded me of another Rae story.  This one not so funny...but still deserves writing.  Every June, Rae, Stephanie and I travel to New Mexico for the annual board meeting for Cuyamungue Institute.  We are instructors of the Cuyamungue Method and also offer workshops during the summer. We are also board members.  Cuyamungue Institute is located just north of Santa Fe.  Our 280 acres are within the Pojoaque Pueblo, and we strive to keep the Land pure, clean, open for the wild life indigenous to that area.





Road to Cuyamungue Institute

One summer was quite busy for us.  We conducted a four day introductory workshop and within a week had to have all preparation for an International Gathering where we had members from Europe, Israel, South America and Canada meet.  As I write this I realize that there is too much stuff I want to say about Cuyamungue Institute and the story is getting lost.  So I will put a link to the site for now, and later write a few posts about this beautiful land and practice. Cuyamungue Institute

Back to the story.  Usually, after a workshop the three of us head down to Cities of Gold or Buffalo Thunder casinos and have some fun.  We often find a room at either place, eat at a restaurant, and have a welcoming hot shower.  The institute has showers...but we are careful with water use there, and we share showers facilities...so the comfort level is not real high.

After this workshop we knew that we had little down time before preparing for the gathering.  We decided to do our laundry at Jake's Dirty Shorts, which was near the Pojoaque Supermarket.  I also wanted to buy some Corelle dinner ware for the gathering because we did not have enough plates for everyone.  Plus, they stacked easily, were compact, easy to store compared to the heavy pottery sets we had. 


 Rae and Stephanie resting in the Student Building

Our plan was that Rae would do the laundry while Stephanie and I drove to Espanola to get the Coreelle ware.  (It was easier to drive the ten miles to Espanola than to the other side of Santa Fe where we could buy the dinner ware.)  Stephanie and I helped Rae carry the laundry inside Jake's Dirty Shorts.  We helped sort and fill washers and got them started.  Rae had her book, ready to just relax while we headed to Espanola. 

Road construction slowed us a bit, but we made it to Espanola in good time, got the sets of Corelle ware and headed back.  It was not our fault that as we passed The Big Rock Casino it beckoned us to stop.  (Those who know Rae know that she loves to play the slots...and this was way back when Ohio had no casinos...so we always spent a little time playing when we were in New Mexico)  But The Big Rock Casino was insistent that Stephanie and I go in and play the change we had from our purchase.  Not much, but just come in and try.

Big Rock Casino

The car, hearing the call, turned into the parking lot and we found ourselves inside.  We only stayed ten minutes.  We did not lose any money...we won a little.  Checking the time, we knew we had to get back as the clothes were probably dried and Rae would be waiting for us.  We promised each other that we would take Rae to a casino that evening. 





Walking into Jakes' Dirty Shorts we found Rae looking panicked.  She had a cart with a mountain of wet clothes beside her as she was trying to fold some dry clothes on a table.  "Where the (choice word) have you been?  These people in here are so (choice words) possessive with the machines and don't want to share with a stranger.  I was lucky to get this (explicative) cart so I could pile the clothes somewhere hoping to get a (#*%#) dryer.  Every time a (choice word) dryer was free some (choice word) jerk would grab it.  (Choice word) I did not even have time for a cigarette or get to read my (#%#*#) book."

Stephanie and I looked at each other.  Do we dare tell her?  No, better push our way to a dryers and get Rae out of there quickly.

"You went to the (choice words) casino, didn't you!"  Rae must have seen our guilty looks...well, we were really trying not  to laugh.  "You left me in this (more choice words) hot laundry mat,  working like a (choice words) dog, sweat dripping down my back while you played!" 

Did I dare say that it was her idea...that she could have a quiet morning, reading her book, while doing the laundry.  We told her to sit outside...have a smoke and we would finish the laundry.  We still had not admitted our detour to the casino...it had only been ten minutes.  Soon, Rae had returned, grumbling as she helped fold.  I was, again, biting my lips to prevent my inappropriate laughing.  Rae saw my shoulders shaking and face turning red.  "It's not (choice words) funny, Jackie,"  she said.

I made a short slide show Cuyamungue Institute.

We did make it up to Rae.  We took her to the Cities of Gold Casino and let her play on our meager winnings from the Big Rock.  Then we had a nice meal at the Sopapilla Factory before heading back to The Land.