Friday, April 22, 2011

Spin. Slop. Pause.

My appliances came!! And I will have you know that I installed the washer machine all by myself. Of course, it wasn’t too hard. First, we didn’t buy the riser, which lifts the washer to a higher level. (There’s no way I’m spending $300 for a metal drawer.)

I hooked up the water lines; I hooked up the drain lines. Then I tried to push it into place. It didn’t budge. I think it laughed at me. The new washer is one of those front-loading high efficiency machines, which has a concrete block in the bottom. So I called the boys—engineering boy who told his brothers what/how to move it so that it would snug in, strong as an ox boy who did the bulk of the physical labor, and comic boy who made jokes about breaking the machine. Once they got it in, I ran a load of laundry.

I stuffed our comforter and pillow shams into the machine and started it. The machine has a glass door so you can see the laundry being washed. I sat and watched it. Comic boy joined me. It was amazing, very soothing. Spin. Slop. Pause. Spin. Slop. Pause. I know what I’m going to do the next time I run into a plot problem. And when I’m a famous writer (ha) being interviewed and I’m asked, “So, Connie, what do you do when you run into a plot problem?” I’ll answer, “I watch my washing machine spin.”

Sadly, the dishwasher doesn’t have a glass panel. It didn’t even come with an owner’s manual. So today I’m going to have to call the General of Electric and request an owner’s manual. I like to have them so I can read how to cancel a washer cycle. When I turned it on to check for leaks, it wouldn’t let me cancel the washer cycle and I had to run it through the entire cycle. Very Frustrating...time for me to go watch the washing machine spin.

9 comments:

  1. I very much want a front-loading washer. So I can watch it spin.

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  2. Hi Connie,

    I have found my way over to your site via the A-Z Challenge. (in particular Kelly's site 'Write at Home with Kelly Olsen')

    I really enjoy reading posts about woman that love tinkering with machinery! I'm a tinkerer myself!

    In my very old home I am the built-in dishwasher! Odd as this may sound I enjoy doing dishes as it affords me some great "daydreaming" time - as does ironing! (probably time to find a life!)

    I keep a note pad handy and am always surprised what finds its way into my head while doing these mundane chores.

    I have added myself as a Follower - I couldn't resist the lure of being '100' - but truth be told, I only add myself to a site if I enjoy it and will, in fact, follow it!

    I look forward to return visits to your blog.

    Have a wonderful weekend.
    Jenny

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  3. Enjoy your new appliances! We love our front loader and we both still enjoy watching it do its magic while we stand watching it—even after almost 4 years. We're easily entertained.

    One tip...be sure to keep the door open a bit in between washes to keep from getting bad smells inside. Water stays in the rubber gaskets and people talk about the awful smell.

    Of course with a family of six there may not be a down time for the washer. I well remember those days :>)

    It's great hardly ever needing to buy detergent! We still can't believe that so little soap and water can do such a great job.

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  4. I woman of many talents! I've admired those new kinds of washing machines from afar. I can see how it would be a calming experience to stop and stare.

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  5. Can I make guesses as to who each of the boys were, or would that earn you some arsenic in your coffee?

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  6. I totally know what you mean about the washer! We finally switched to a front-loading one like a year or 2 ago, and I was amazed by how mesmerizing watching the laundry can be. Haha.

    Also, major props for installing that thing yourself!

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  7. So which one is which? Most of them are comic boys.

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  8. Andrew, Matthew explained how to get it in, Jacob did the heavy lifting, and Luke hopped up and down like a monkey making jokes.

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  9. Ha ha, not true, maybe Duncan needs Arsenic in his coffee. Jacob and Matthew are the wimps.

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