By Stacy Johnson
My dryer has been dying a slow death. You know when it takes almost two hours for anything to dry, there is something wrong. Yes, I’ve cleaned the lint screen to remove the dryer sheet buildup that is invisible. But this isn’t about my dryer, this is about my washing machine. My washer actually gave up on one load this weekend, she stopped right in the middle of draining. I had to go into the laundry room and cheer her on to drain, rinse, then spin the load. I put in two smaller loads to end the day then I gave her a break on Sunday and didn’t ask her to do any work. I got up early this morning to catch up on what didn’t get done on Saturday and she did it to me again. I had to stand there and jimi-rig her with a screwdriver to finish the load. She made me mad, but then I stopped to think about my sweet machine.
She was the first large purchase we made after moving into our first home. I was so proud of her. She sat there at the back of my laundry room, gleaming white, her sticker touting “extra large capacity” made me so excited to do my first load. I only had 3 kids then and I could get the laundry done in one day, easy. There are seven children now, and she is hard at work at least 5 days a week. She’s moved with me five times since that first house and she has rarely given me any problems. I’ve tried to reward her with a new hose every move, I give her a good cleaning regularly and I’ve even bought her some new parts over the years. I even wrote a paper for school about her, you can read it here. http://johnsonteammom.blogspot.com/2009/04/i-am-sicko-who-loves-to-do-laundry.html I’ve been good to her and she’s been good to me.
That is why I feel a little guilty today. For family night, we will go and purchase a new set. A new washer and dryer that will make my old ones look like they belong in a doll house. A new set that will wash and dry in half the time and do twice the amount in one load. I’m already feeling less guilty about it. And, I think with a newer, more efficient washer and dryer, this will surely free up some more time for writing, right? Guilt gone.
My favorite part of this post?... that your washer is a "she." All of my major appliances (and a few minor ones, as well) have definite genders, too. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one.
ReplyDeleteDitto. I got a kick out of your washer being a "she." One thought on the dryer though, when my dryer slows down, I call and have the entire vent hose that goes to the outside cleaned. It is usually full of lint, and "they" say house fires start this way. (Now if you know who "they" are, please let me know. Good luck on your purchases of the newest of your family members tonight.
ReplyDeleteWow, you are way more sentimental than I am. I doubt I've ever felt a glimmer of guilt about replacing an appliance.
ReplyDeleteBut for sure, anything that frees up more writing time is a good thing. When I was writing the Stranger She Married, I decided to give up scrapbooking. A sacrifice? Yes. Worth it? No doubt!
Funny isn't it giving gender to machines. I've own 1 car that was definitely a he, can't explain why...the others have been shes. Giggle. Enjoy your new set and keep the guilt away by writing.
ReplyDeleteHa Ha, only a "she" would work that hard on her laundry.
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