God Bless WaWa!

Driving three (eventually four and a half) hours home from Baltimore on Wednesday, I faced a universal problem which is much tougher to solve on the East Coast than it is in Colorado. One of the first things I had noticed (when you're potty-training a toddler this is one of the first things you'd notice too!) when we moved to Denver, is how ubiquitous public restrooms are. Not just available, but usually well-maintained. (For some more detailed reading on this check out http://www.midchix.com/pg/pages/view/6007/). Better yet, the stores, restaurants, gas stations etc. that freely offered up the use of their facilities were frequently staffed by nice folks! And, to put the icing on the cake, the sinks have warm water!

As a poor, young, career gal living in NYC, knowing where to find public restrooms you could use without buying something was a skill I had to develop pretty darn quickly...along with a bladder that could battle with the best. Then, as a young mother with double stroller and baby in a backpack, I developed PTSD after being refused a bathroom at the Tarrytown Baskin-Robbins when the runs hit during a mid-morning walk.

Crouching over a public john to either avoid those germs that mom put the fear of god into me about or, while holding a toddler, is responsible for my unusually strong thighs (and probably my chronic back pain). So I have truly come to appreciate the public service provided when potties are free, clean, and equipped.

Back to Wednesday. It was 95 degrees, and so after my requisite 5 cups of morning coffee, I had downed 4 bottles of water on the drive to and from the WBENC http://www.wbenc.org/ conference and now, I was not only up the proverbial creek...I was close to creating my own right there in the car. Still forty minutes from home, I spotted a gas station and quickmart and screeched in only to find a sign saying "restrooms by the filling tanks"- so back in the car...quick over to the little building by the filling tanks where the door proclaimed:"no public restrooms". Really??? You realize all of that maneuvering in and out of the car was only making things worse. So it was with tears of relief, or perhaps things had backed up all the way to my eyeballs, when I spotted a WaWa http://www.wawa.com/WawaWeb/

For you non-Mid-Atlantic staters, WaWa is like a 7-Eleven...only better! Imagine this: Their Core Purpose (as stated on their website) is "To Simplify Our Customers Daily Lives" -

You really can't beat that. I love it so much I have to share the core values as well: "Value People, Delight Customers, Embrace Change, Do the Right Thing, Do Things Right, Passion for Winning." And to top it off - "WaWa" is a Native American word for the Canada Goose that was found in Delaware Valley, and that's why they use a goose on WaWa's corporate logo! How's that for Chick-friendly!

So very long story short, I dashed into WaWa, did my business, and headed home. But I swore I'd say thank you so -Thanks WaWa!

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