rhymes with rhyme














navigation
current
archives
links page
profile















hands free laundry
November 03, 2014

New washer came on Friday--terrible tribulation with the delivery and the install; Spouse nearly had kittens from the unprofessional deliviery people. When we purchased it, we made special arrangements for a Friday afternoon delivery, and we were supposed to receive a phone call on Thursday between 6 and 9, with our 2-hour window. No call. Spouse called Lowe's on Friday, and they referred him to the delivery service. The delivery service insisted that they had tried to call but the number was disconnected. What number did they call, he asked--

They called our old land line number. The one that we got rid of TEN YEARS AGO. WTF? I honestly don't even know how they got that one. In all our many dealings and purchases and deliveries with Lowe's, we have always used Spouse's cell number. They must have had a really old phone book lying around!

So once he'd contacted them, he asked what time they would be there. They said between 10 and noon. Yeah, in what universe is that AFTERnoon? They said they would re-configure, and call back with a time. They never did.

They rolled up at 3:45. Took the back doors off, brought the new washer down, took the old one out, and "installed" the Samsung. By installed, I mean they stuck it in the washer spot and hooked up the hoses, kind of half-way leveled it, and told me my floor was too crooked for them to do any better. Ran a test cycle, rehung the doors, and left (with a $20 tip, I might add--stupid me.)

Spouse got home a couple of minutes after they left, and proceeded to have a shitfit over the crappy installation. When he ran the calibration cycle, he was more pissed, because it was obviously not balanced. We got down under and kajiggered it with some wood scraps for shims, and got it fairly level, then he actually washed a couple of loads, to get the feel for it. And I think he's kind of in love, because he did seven loads over the course of the weekend, and never let me touch it. (he did, however, let me sort, dry, hand, fold, and put away!)

Anyway, between the horrid weather (Friday was freezing, with gale-force winds and snow showers!) and the laundry kerfuffle, we did something we've never done in all the time we've lived here--we punked out on trick-or-treat. Pulled the pizza (left over from the previous Friday's pizza night) out of the freezer and heated it up, and that was about it.

Oh, wait--he did have one piece of very good news for me. His probationary period is over at work, and he is going to be getting another $1.25 an hour!! He'll also be eligible for PTO and other benefits. YAY!!!!

On Saturday, we got up slow, and eventually headed out to McHenry to go to the Meijer. They were having a good sale, and since gas has gone down so much, we can afford to do it again. We bought an obscene amount of stuff. He's got the "winter is coming" itch to stock the pantry and freezer, and I got lots of stuff I particularly like from Meijer, from oatmeal to sweatsocks.

I even got nearly all my nuts and fruits for the fruitcake bake! They had a great display set up in the produce department, with pretty much everything you need. Fruitcake is an expensive proposition--I spent $45 on the fruit and the nuts, and that isn't including golden raisins, brandy, or any of the other ingredients! And shipping will be another $15. BUT--it's a labor of love, so I need to suck it up and not count the cost.

After Meijer, we stopped at Home Depot for the supplies Spouse needed to properly level the washer, then at Walmart for dog food. I didn't go in at either one, since my knee was aching and it was the 1st of the month at Walmart (AUGGHHH!!) By the time we got home, and I got everything put away and he leveled the washer and re-started the laundry, we were famished, so we had a quick sandwich. In the afternoon, we just relaxed and read and hung out--and did laundry. And as peeved as I was that he wouldn't let me run the washer, I was pretty grateful that he was saving my knees a lot of trips up and down the stairs. Dinner was very basic, as well--hot dogs & fries. We blew off the clocks till morning, and went to bed fairly early. Neither of us had slept well on Friday night, so we were bushed.

On Sunday, we did a little better. I got up, set clocks, and had coffee, then gave the B a good bit of grooming while Spouse made french toast and sausage for breakfast. YUM. Then we cleaned up the kitchen and ourselves, and ran to Farm & Fleet in Sturtevant. I got: two new sweaters for work (fine gauge mock Tnecks, very plain. One black, one magenta. A new pair of Lee Riders blue jeans. A new navy-blue CGCG hoodie. A second medium-sized Wilton loaf pan (so I can make a full batch of date-nut bread at one time). Spouse got: three very nice long-sleeved shirts for work, a new cast-iron grill pan (Lodge, $23.99. ATK's "best buy" for grill pans.) And we picked up a 3-M window kit and some dog treats.

On the way home, we stopped at Sam's Club, because they have bath towels on sale. Huge, thick, gorgeous bath towels, for $7.00 each. And since we haven't bought new towels in about 6 or 7 years, we needed to. I got four. They didn't have my shades of blue, though. I got two grey and two in a nice aqua color. We picked up a few other things we needed, and I got a bag of the frozen triple-berry blend to make a batch of jam. If my dad is going to be out in AZ for the winter with Auntie, I'm definitely going to have to send out a fresh supply of homemade jam!

When we got home, we put stuff away and he went into laundry overdrive again. New towels to wash, plus he practically stripped the clothes off my back to make up more loads. I thought the wash was done, and he managed to come up with three more loads! I baked a banana cake and made homemade vanilla buttercream to frost it with, and Spouse made, as a special favor to me, swiss steak with mashed potatoes and carrots for dinner. Soooo good. He uses a Cook's Country recipe that is just fantastic.


Anyway--the washer: As much as I can say at this point in the proceedings is this: It is very quiet, it seems to be doing a really good job getting things clean, it is using less water, it is taking WAY less time to dry things, and it has him all excited to do laundry. What more can I ask of it?! LOL
Spouse has decided that we are not going to the Pfister for Thanksgiving, which disappoints me a bit. But he loves to plan the meal and cook the dinner and he loves leftovers, so he decided this would be best. I don't really care enough to argue, and since he does most of the cooking and most of the dishes, who am I to complain?
Talked to Daddy on Thursday. He was pretty down. It would have been their 59th wedding anniversary on the 30th, and he was feeling depressed. So he detailed his truck. That's so Dad.

The big news was that his winter in AZ is getting ever-bigger...now he's leaving on the TENTH of November. Even Auntie is freaking out a little about it--WTF? I think he's going crazy and he wants to get the heck out of there before bad weather traps him. I will have to beat feet down to see him this weekend, or I won't get to see him till spring!



Reading: "Gaudy Night" (1935), by Dorothy L. Sayers. I felt like I needed some time in the company of Harriet and Lord Peter, and Amazon had this for $1.99 the other day. Also, "The Mystery" (1907), by Stewart Edward White and Samuel Hopkins Adams. No opinion yet.

Listening: Black Crows, Lit, Better Than Ezra, The Goo Goo Dolls, Semisonic


At Random: click here

recede - proceed

hosted by DiaryLand.com