Attack of the Machines

So there we were, trying to enjoy a nice Sunday afternoon. Some good family time, mixed with a generous helping of Vancouver Winter Olympics. It was during this semi-peaceful time that we first heard the noise... like something had been unleashed not far from where we sat... the sound of something horrible rolling its horrible eyes, the sound of someone trying to reach a scare quota. Cautiously, we approached the noise and found none of the above. There was no Wild Thing, no Monsters Inc. employee, no... just a washing machine trying to walk away from the wall.

I immediately pulled out all information I had on the washer and called Maytag. After struggling through their automated system, I was informed that I would need to discuss the issue with a customer service representative and I pressed 1 to continue. Then I was informed that all service centers were closed for the weekend.

Monday morning, I called again. This time I struggled through the automated system, finally talked with a human being, and was informed that there was nothing they could do for me since the washer is more than a year old. I did purchase the 3 year protection plan for the washer, but I'll have to take my complaint up with Sears instead of Maytag... of course.

So, I called Sears, struggled through their automated system, and was finally connected with someone who was definitely NOT a native English speaker... after several minutes of repeated questions from both of us, he finally told me that he could not help me, but he would connect me with someone who could. *transfer to a person who IS a native English speaker...but from the South and I still can't understand a word she says* Finally, I had my situation explained, all relevant information given, and the best they could do was send out a service tech on THURSDAY!

(Hmmm... 4 days without laundry... I guess we'll have to stretch everything.) We did our best to stretch the cloth diapers, we aired out blankets & sheets instead of stripping beds like I wanted to, and we rinsed some underwear in the sink...

Thursday finally came. The tech (who came 3 hours later than I hoped) spent 10 minutes looking at the washer. He then called me in to explain that "it broke." Apparently, one of the huge concrete counterweights (the ones that are supposed to prevent the washer from walking during the spin cycle) completely broke... and it fell around the washer drum, landed on the other concrete counterweight and cracked that one. Thank goodness we purchased the extended protection plan... Unfortunately, now we have to wait while UPS ships us 40lbs of concrete. We will hopefully have a tech come install the concrete (which should arrive sometime this week) on Monday the 8th.

Of course... I was already at the end of my towels. There was NO way we could wait another 11 days for the washer to be fixed. So, I packed up my kids, my 11 loads of laundry and headed to the laundromat.

We packed a lunch and the girls' workbooks, and spent the afternoon amongst fabric softener, bleach, and the change machine.

My boys did pretty well, but J2 here got a little upset and needed some comfort while we waited for the last enormous (and insanely expensive) dryer. (I know my dryer at home works perfectly fine... but who wants to haul 11 loads of sopping wet laundry home? And besides, we all know it would never actually make it to my dryer, and would instead start to mold in my living room.) And the sweatshirt is a lovely reminder that it was, in fact, laundry day.

After a second run to the laundromat today, with another 7 loads, I am just extremely grateful that we own our own washer & dryer. I was right to insist on an in-home washer/dryer when we first moved into this basement 5 years ago.