Stomping Out The Dirt

finally...it's time. the rain has filled all the buckets and it's warm
enough that i don't need my huge, warm, fuzzy blanket on my bed at
night. i inquired with my host mom the best way to wash the gigantic
thing. first, i borrowed their 3 huge basins. i filled them with
water, syphened from the drum of rain water. i added laundry detergent
to one and shoved in the blanket. next, i rolled up my pants and
hopped in, stomping around like lucy does to the grapes on i love lucy
when she's making wine. then, little piece by little piece, i
transfered the blanket into a small, empty basin and my host mom
helped me lift it onto a wire table to drain down into another empty
basin. then, i ploped it into another huge basin of water and stomped
around. then, we repeated putting it on the table to drain. then, it
went in the third basin and with my hands was swished around. it was
hoisted back onto the table to drain one last time. finally, my host
mom and i took it over to the chain link fence and heaved it up with
all our strength to dry. then i had to empty the basins. since they
were too heavy, i took buckets and after many many trips, had empty
basins again. it took 5 basins to wash the darn thing and it took 2
full days to dry!