Labor Day Weekend

It has been a busy day in this country bubble. True to what usually happens when my husband is out of town, something either breaks down, falls over, or requires repair with tools that I cannot use or cannot lift.

This morning, as I blissfully checked my eMail and browsed through Pinterest, the laundry room was slowly filling up with water that was continually being pumped into the washing machine. I had put in a small load of wash because I was up so early that it just made sense to get it done before the day got away from me.

When I noticed the water coming out of the laundry room, it had already spread through half of the kitchen and was on its way into the breakfast room. I didn't even hear the water spilling over because the doors were closed and the dogs were playing... and silly me, it was just a very quiet and peaceful morning. What to do first?!  I knew the water had to be shut off but all of that mechanism is enclosed in a weather-proof box outside and could I even get it open?

Not only was my husband not here, but the neighbors who I usually call in such an emergency were out of town also. I had told friend Cindy last week that if anything happened here when my husband was gone, I'd be calling her husband to come help. And we laughed.... what could possibly happen....

One phone call to Cindy had her riding her Range Rover out into her fields, looking for her husband who was cutting down the tall grass on their property. They were at my house in five minutes, and in that time, I was able to get the cover off of the protective box surrounding the shut-off valves for the water coming into this house... two of my fingernails are probably still outside near that wooden cover.

I turned off the water valves outside the house.... and Cindy's husband had to use some kind of wrench-thing to turn off the water faucets behind the washing machine. I had tried doing that first, but they wouldn't budge. Savannah stayed away from the water on the kitchen floor but Satchmo started dancing and sliding in it as if it were a new game. Into the TV room went Savannah, and into the crate went Satchmo. I had enough confusion in that kitchen without two dogs running around.

Not only had the washing machine filled up (and over) with water, but it was hot water... and I never wash anything in hot water, so something was clearly wrong with that machine. Cindy's husband said the machine would drain and spin if I turned the dial to that setting, and it worked. The water drained out, the sheets and towels spun around, and I put them in the dryer...... and then went back to mopping up the kitchen floor. Cindy's husband made sure the main water valves were turned on and everything was flowing into the house as it should...... and if you look at my laundry room now, it's as if nothing had happened.

Nothing indeed.  As soon as the floor was mopped clean and the sheets and towels were dry, I got myself ready to go into town, determined not to wait until my husband got home to do extensive research on the computer as to what washing machine I needed.  As I was driving into town, my husband called to ask how everything was going. I didn't know whether to mention this latest fiasco or not, being that he was too far away to do anything about it, but the frustration in my voice gave it all away and he knew something was up.

So I told him about the water spilling out of the washing machine and soaking half of the kitchen and nearly getting to the wood floor of the breakfast room.... and told him that I was on my way to Home Depot to buy not only a new washer but a new dryer as well.  "Well, I would be checking Consumer Reports and comparing the prices between Home Depot and Lowe's and they may have more of a selection up in College Station so we can take a look up there..."

He didn't get it. I had to explain over again:  "You don't understand. I am in my car. I am on the main highway driving towards Home Depot. I will see if they have Whirlpool or GE and I will buy both a washer and a dryer."   He asked me if I checked the Internet first.  "No. I was too busy mopping the floor and looking for a wrench-thing for Cindy's husband and trying to keep a dog and a puppy out of all that water."

At Home Depot, I found what I wanted, but they couldn't deliver them until next Saturday. Seriously? While the saleslady went to answer the phone, I called Cindy and asked her to look up the number for Lowe's.  I called them.... they had the same machines... which could be delivered tomorrow.  Fine. I drove across the highway and went into Lowe's..... found the machines........ found a sales person...... told him to write up the order if delivery could be done tomorrow.  He checked their inventory, they had the machines, they could get them delivered and set up tomorrow afternoon. Fine.  If I signed up for a Lowe's credit card, I could save another 5% on the machines. Fine. Sign here. Done.

Done. Done. Done. I am SO DONE with people thinking they need to make decisions for me. I still have a brain. I can do things myself and do them well.  I lived alone for a good long while and made my own way just fine. My mind has not turned to applesauce out here in this stupid country bubble and I hope to hell we don't live here long enough for that to happen.