The Washer

The day before Thanksgiving I was washing a load of laundry and all of the sudden there was this awful sound as it was spinning.  It's only a year old and is a front load Whirlpool that we bought with a new dryer and of course the pedestals - from Freds' Appliance during the remodel.

Jeff asked "Is it out of balance?"  I had to roll my eyes on that because if a front loader washer is out of balance WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT IT?  <sigh>

So it ran it's course and made it through the cycle.  Over the weekend I ran a few more loads and the sound was definitely there, but it wasn't as bad as it had been that Wednesday.  And then Tuesday HAPPENED.  I was up working something,( I'm not quite sure what, but it makes me sound like I must have been doing "something"...  even though I was probably just eating bon bons and listening to Christmas music.)  Annnyway...

I ran down there to see what was what and it was spinning and nothing seemed out of the ordinary other than the sound.  It had 8 minutes left to go so I thought I'd just sit there and wait for it to finish - making sure it didn't blow up or sizzle or attack the wall - or something.  It seemed to quiet and finish fine but I decided to make the call to Freds for a service call.  I was asked if I had purchased the extended warranty to which I responded "yes" and she continued to ask for identifying information JUST TO MAKE SURE I really had purchased it.  The gal on the other end almost sounded disappointed when she found it and confirmed what I had told her two or three times already.  So she got us scheduled for today.  I was told I'd receive a call from the serviceman around 8 AM to let me know when he'd be here.  Perfection.  Ciao!

Fast forward a whole day to Wednesday (yesterday) morning when I decide that the mounds of laundry that ONE child can leave me in a day or two have to be done!  It's almost as if all three boys are home right now.  I don't get it... but I won't complain because I'm always telling people how bad it sucks when they start leaving home and all you want to friggin do is use a Tide bleach/stain stick, soak muddy clothes and do their laundry once they're gone!  I had started a load, left to work out and came home to an inch of water in the laundry room.  Yes, an inch.  AND not draining down the drain.  I called my husband at work and he was as I expected - zero help as I fretted about what to do next.  So I sopped it all up and checked the drain, surveyed the washer and decided that it must be leaking from behind or something.  <shrug>.  Let it be known that I am NO appliance repair expert.  Oooorrrr am I?  (The answer is still no...)  So I put the stuff that was in the washer, in the dryer, made sure the floor was dry so that I could start the dryer.  Later in the afternoon I went down to get the stuff out of the dryer and noticed that the drain had finally drained and everything was dry.  After some tidying and whatnot I did something my mother, her mother, the laundry gods and the very fine people that manufactured washers and dryers that lasted for 20 years - years ago would have screeched at.  I decided to give the Whirlpool another Whirl.  <I am the ONLY one snickering at that, amn't I?)  (Amn't CAN be a word - just so you know.  If "Is not" can be "isn't" then "am not" can't be amn't".  It is a word baby Zach made up when he was telling us he wasn't going to do something we asked of him.  "No I amn't."  And it stuck.)  So I put a few things in, started her up and (I just chortled at this) the second, the very second that I turned my back on the washer as it started to fill - I heard the loud splashing of water.  I turned to find the washer leaking out the front - but not from the door, from the crease about 4 inches below the door, down onto the floor and into the pedestal.  I turned on my heels so fast and shut it off - 5 seconds tops... TWO GALLONS of water on the floor and in the pedestal.  I sh*t you not.  (And as Reese Witherspoon, not withoutherspoon says in "Sweet Home Alabama", I never understood the meaning of that saying.)  But this is clearly an opportunity where it can be used.  I sh*t you not.  TWO GALLONS.  I am now out of towels to sop up and waiting patiently for the Freds guy to come and FIX my one year and two month old washer.  

The call came shortly after 8:AM and I am 7th on his call list today.  My expected visit from him is sometime AFTER 2:30.  I wanted to tell him:  "You probably want to let #8 and #9 know you won't be there today because this appears to be a bitch of a repair job.  You all probably think my "leak" is just a little tightening job and that I'm exaggerating..."  I'm sure that the massive mounds of laundry in the hall, sorted and ready for washing are going to add to his understanding of how DIRE it is that I have the old... uhhh, young "girl" back!  

To be continued...

3:09 p.m
The washer is fixed!  I lost an article of clothing to that wicked machine!  But I've gained 2 hair pins, 1 quarter, 2 pennies and a dime!.  I asked my pal from Freds (same guy who was sent out repeatedly this summer to fix our ice maker in the new fridge) if after I exclaimed excitement to do laundry - if he heard that very often and he said "Actually, yah."

Liar.

Nobody is excited to do laundry.  Not when there are 6 seasons of "Dexter" I could be immersing myself into, or fa la la'ing myself around the house pretending to dust and do things that *should* get done around here.  As if!

I will say - that being "grounded" to home today was kind of nice.  I ran the self clean on the oven, put away clean laundry that usually likes to nest in the laundry room until someone finds what they need (folded, but just not taken that extra step) and decorated, dusted (really I did) and THOUGHT about vacuuming.

All in a days' work!