The Washing Machine-- a Story of Love, Hate, and Violence

When we moved in we got this really great (I thought) washer and dryer set. Kenmore Oasis 4.5 cubic ft. It washes 3 times what my old washer did. I loved this thing! We bought the set 2 years ago. About a year ago (conveniently after the warranty expired) we started getting an error code, but we figured out that if we just keep restarting the washer, we can eventually get around it.

Well, back in October we couldn't get around it anymore. So we called the Home Warranty people (finally this "insurance" is going to pay for itself!) and had someone come out and take a look.

Oh, if only it had been so simple.

The first time the guy came out, he replaced the computer and went on about his merry way. We tried a load and got a NEW error code. Called the Warranty people again, and two weeks later he is back out. He tries some trick with the drain hose and leaves. I get another, different error code. This time it says the washer is over loaded. Funny, I was running an empty washer at the time. Call again, and two weeks later he comes out for the 3rd time. He decides we need to replace the inner tubs, so he orders parts. He tells us that when the parts arrive at our house to call and he would come back and put them in. So a week later the parts arrive and 2 weeks later he comes back out.

He opens the box.

The outer tub is busted.

Now I am a pretty patient person, but at this point I am about to cry. You see, by this point I have been carting laundry back and forth to my mom's twice a week. I love my mom, but this is just exhausting.

So he orders the parts again, and for the 5th time a guy comes out yesterday. This is a different guy from the first four times, but we like him better. He didn't have to call tech support once!

We had opened the box when it arrived and the tub seemed ok. So we leave the guy to his devices. I take the dogs with me to go get coffee. When I come back, Bill is in the back yard with the dogs and I hear a strange sound from the garage. I thought the guy was calling Bill so I walked out there. Here is how the conversation transpired:

"Are your dogs put up?"

"Yes," I say. (This didn't surprise me. The last guy was afraid of our dogs.)

"Ok, so are you a violent person?" (He is smiling like he is joking, but my stomach is starting to drop.)

I reply, "Well, I swear a lot, and I tend to throw things, but I have never been known to physically harm a person." (I, too, am smiling, but he knows I am only partially joking.)

He says, "Ok. Then I should probably tell you that this outer tub is also busted."

"What?" I say. I can't possibly have heard him correctly.

He just points to the tub, which sure enough is busted. You see, since the other tub was busted on the top, it simply didn't occur to us to pull the blessed thing out of the box and check the bottom.

"Un-f-ing-believable," I say. And I start to laugh. Uncontrollably. Because after all of the drama with this washer and all of the sorry luck last week when Bill and I tried to go ski, all I can do is laugh.

FYI- I will NEVER IN MY LIFE buy another washer that is a "new design."

Also FYI- if you ever need to rent a washer, go to the RAC at the 2100 block of Georgia. The one at 34th and Georgia is worthless, and Aaron's Rent to Own requires a minimum of 3 months. (Dear Heaven, I hope our washer is fixed within 3 months!!!)

If anyone wants a free washer that they think they can fix, I will be dropping one off of a cliff at PD Canyon at the end of the month if it is not fixed. At least Home Warranty is footing the bill.

Ah. The peaceful start to the New Year I was hoping for!!!! :P

Peace go with you!

High Five, Blogger! Gold Star for You!

I have just figured out how to import my old blog into my new blog! Between that and importing this blog into my Facebook, I can now delete my other blog! Good job, Blogger!!

Full Circle

I remember almost exactly this time last year making observations about 2007 and stating hopes for 2008. I remember sitting with a friend and setting 10 goals (not resolutions, mind you) for the coming year. Look back at my post from last year, and you will find several weeks of entries from early 2008 about the progress of those goals. I remember making a firm decision that 2008 would not be as difficult as 2007.

I kept exactly one of my 10 goals: I will be graduating in May with my Master's degree, assuming I pass my Comprehensive Exams.

Otherwise, the rest of my "goals" remain unmet. I managed to read my Bible every night for about six weeks. (I have the orange checklist to prove it.) I lost almost all of the weight I wanted to, and then promptly gained it back. All you have to do is look back at the date of my last blog entry to see that blogging every week turned out to be a bust. I only ran in one 5K. I don't even remember what the others were.

I will have to do some thinking and reflecting tomorrow before I decide if I am going to attempt yet again to achieve any of these goals. However, I have made one decision: I will be better equipped to handle 2009. I'm not going to hope it won't be as rough as 2008. In fact, I assume it will be just as rough. I am, however, going to better equip myself to handle whatever 2009 decides to throw at me. I have already set plans in motion to take a couple of risks that a year ago I wouldn't have dared take. And these risks require taking a huge step out on faith. That is how I plan to live out 2009. To stop worrying over the things I cannot control and take a few risks to get what I want. Maybe it will work out, maybe it won't, but I do not want to live 2009 playing the "What if" game. It is a game I am well seasoned in, but do not want to partake in any longer. I ask for your prayers for courage, resilience, and most of all, peace. I spent all of 2008 seeking a peace that has been right in front of me to grasp. I ask your prayers for 2009 that I will no longer look for peace, but just take it.

Here's to 2009. . . Bring it on.
-Peace to you all. . .

So Much for Going to Bed . . .

So, I crawled into bed at 11:00, SO happy that I was in bed at a semi-decent hour for the first time in a week. I closed my eyes after saying a short prayer that I would sleep through the night, or more appropriately, that the DOGS would sleep through the night.

Nothing.

So I sat up and turned on the cute little book light I bought so as not to disturb my husband and read for a bit.

Nothing.

So I got up and attempted to find something of value on TV. Of course, there was nothing worth watching so I did 20 minutes of Wii Yoga.

Nothing.

So here I sit, at 1:08 AM, for your reading pleasure. Funny thing about insomnia . . . you can't get cocky with it, because just when you think you have beat it, that you are over it, you are CURED . . .

BAM! You're awake at 1:09 am.

So let me gripe a bit about the classes I'm taking in the fall. Many of you already know my distaste for the fact that for a TECHNOLOGY MASTERS DEGREE I had to take a class in beginner's Microsoft Office.

Pleh. If only I'd known. . .

If only someone had told me that this fall I would be taking a course with the required textbook of "Microsoft Office 2007-ADVANCED," I will ALSO be taking a course with a required textbook of "Microsoft Office 2007-POST ADVANCED." Seriously. Now I certainly do not know everything there is to know about Office, but when I signed up for Educational Technology, I expected a lot more than how to use office productivity software. Where is SoftChalk? Stixy? Visual Thesauraus? iBreadcrumb?

Still not tired. Not even a little bit.

So I started wearing Mary Kay again. I have the worst luck with Mary Kay sales consultants. I am now on my fourth one. Now that I think about it, I have pretty sorry luck with hair stylists, too. I followed one for several years as she moved from place to place before temporarily disappearing off of the face of the earth. Then I found a great one in a town 45 minutes from here, which was fine back when gas was 1.50 a gallon. Then I found the first one. Then she up and sold her salon with no warning. I have no idea where she is. So I found yet another one, and she broke her arm. So I am on my 4th hair stylist, too!

Still not tired. I'm going to go tag your myspaces.

Peace.

Catching up . . .

I am SO far behind on my blog that I have no idea what I need to write about, so I'm just going to start blabbing . . .



In my infinite wisdom, I decided to take 12 hours in coursework this summer. What in the world was I thinking? That being said, I just submitted my final assignment and am waiting on comfirmation by my professor that she received it before going to bed. I am officially 2/3 the way finished with my Master's degree!!



After a four month running hiatus, (if you don't mind my referring to my complete lack of motivation as a "hiatus"), I decided, again in my infinite wisdom, to run in a one-mile "fun run" race. I didn't die, and I didn't come in last. Race=success.

Ok, my professor just e-mailed me. I am going to bed now. Peace out.

For Everything, There is a Season. . .

These last two weeks have been absolutely out of control for me, but I now see the light at the end of the tunnel, and I'm pretty sure it may not be an oncoming train. I finished my portfolios for Multicultural Education and turned them in last night at 10:30. (Funny enough, they were graded by 1:00 today! I'm going to keep telling myself that she really did read all 50 pages of my portfolio, in addition to the people that turned in early . . . yeah . . .) I have to admit, thought, although I do not buy into the concept of multiculturalism and multicultural education 100%, it did raise my ponderings of certain issues. Ask me some time, and let's discuss!

I also, almost before I fully comprehended what was happening, accepted a new job. A second opening of the Instructional Technology variety came open, and a week ago they called me on Monday, interviewed me on Tuesday, and hired me on Wednesday. I have so many different feelings going on in me right now that I can hardly stand still. I was initially excited and jumping for joy. Then, I sat down to e-mail my new principal at Travis, who I had really grown to like and was looking forward to working with, and a bit of a rain cloud darkened some of my excitement. My real sadness came, however, as I wrote my "good-bye" e-mail to my staff. I really am going to miss many things about the school, and as I cleaned out the last of my stuff from my classroom today, I couldn't stop the memories from running through my head, from the first day I ever set foot on campus seven years ago as a bright-eyed, sparkling new teacher, to moments with kids (good, bad, and funny), just all kinds of memories. And as I shut off my lights and locked my door for the last time, the tears started to roll. A new teacher happened to be coming down the hall at this point and kindly offered to help me carry all of my junk out to my car. She probably thought I was nuts. I'm a little afraid of my new position . . . I'll be holed up in an office, so will I make friends like I had at Travis? Will I miss having students? Will I be good enough at this job? Then, still, there are things about Travis I absolutely will not miss. I'll leave those for discussion some other day.

But, now, I have turned in my keys, my position has been filled, and all I can do now is look forward to my new position. So wish me luck as I prepare to report in August, and in the meantime take THREE summer school classes. (I have no idea what I was smoking when I signed up for that!!!

Cardboard Testimonies . . .

I heard about this video from dear friends of mine that are members of my former church. I didn't want to watch it at first. I felt I was burned pretty badly by that church and still harbor some pretty bitter feelings that I need to let go of. But I watched it today and I cried all the way through it.

It has been a long time since I was touched like this.

And it made me wonder: What would my cardboard say? What is my cardboard testimony? I will have to ponder this a bit longer. I have a million things I can put on the front . . . but what would I put on the back??

What do you think?