The whole day ruined!

Mrs. Reverend and I had the day off today.

Our original plan: I would start washing clothes before sunrise this morning. Then plow the driveway in between loads. Then her and I would go to Necedah and do a little riding before the Castle Rock Family ATV Club meeting and Christmas party.

The way it really went: I started the first load of laundry. It was just beginning to get light out and I was thinking of heading out to plow the driveway. The washer filled with water for it's final rinse cycle, and then, nothing! It stopped, never to run again. Full of clothes and water. The washer was nearly 20 years old. We paid $500 for it way back then. It had acted funny a few times in the last several years, but it always seemed to right itself and started working again. Not this time.

Got on the Internet and began to research washing machines. Home Depot seemed like the logical place to start. Since we were getting a new one, might as well go for one of those cool-looking front loaders! Oops, not us I guess. Seems that we would have to be fairly wealthy to afford one of those. The cheapest ones are $600+! Not for us poor people.

Home Depot showed a top-loader on their website, like we had, for only $259. And it showed that the Lake Delton store stocks it. Excellent. But, with my luck I thought it best to call first. Just as I thought, they didn't have one. Even sold the display model, I was told. The next cheapest they had, $379. Yes, I figured as much. They could order the $259 model, but that would do nothing for my clothes currently floating in the old washer.

Make a call to Home Depot in Wisconsin Rapids. I didn't even know there was one in the Rapids. Anyway, the person in the appliance department tells me that the Home Depot in the Rapids doesn't stock washing machines. And, as a matter of fact, they only have a dryer. Yes, one dryer, not that I was interested in one of those. In the Summer we dry our clothes Mother Nature's way, and in the Winter we do it the woodstove way. Save the money we don't have anywhere we can!

Now what? If I have to put $379 on Visa, then I guess that's what I have to do. But first a call to Adams Columbia Electric in Friendship. After being told the salesman was handling an emergency, then calling back later to be told he was busy with another customer (the Adams County way), then finally I was told they had one for $339! I never saw that coming. Anyway, haul ass up there and put it on the old Visa. They couldn't give me a receipt or anything because nobody works on Saturday that is able to ring it up for you (the Adams County way). Someone would take care of the transaction on Monday, I guess, and I was on my way home with our new washer.

Yank the old one out and hide it under the brush pile (hey, they charge to take appliances at the landfill, besides I might need a piece of sheet metal or something), rebuild the floor where the old washer legs fell through it (goddamn trailer house, toilet did the same thing), put the new washer on the newly rebuilt floor, then wash clothes! Just got done and still haven't plowed the driveway. That will have to wait until at least tomorrow.

No riding and partying for us today. :(

- Quads, hailing from Grand Marsh Observatory atop Elk Castle Hill!