Thursday, April 30, 2015

BREAK BROKE BROKEN PEOPLE AND A DISHWASHER

Gentle Readers . . . and Maxwell,

This week isn't going well.

1. I learned that Middle Child is ill. Even if you don't have children, you probably understand that when your child is sick, you would gladly take on the illness yourself and send your child off to dance in the moonlight.

Willy Dunne Wooters is worried about you.

2. A couple of days ago, I sat down on the glider on my deck and got this horrible, sharp pain in my lower back. I howled so loud I don't understand why the entire neighborhood didn't call the police to say, A WOMAN IS BEING MURDERED!



I did a little yard work, but nothing heavy duty enough for the pain I experienced. My back still hurts, but it's better.

The truth is that I'm not supposed to do all sorts of stuff because I broke my back in 2009, but if I obeyed the orthopedist's rules, then we'd never have milk or dog food in the house again because somebody has to carry that stuff in and that somebody is me.

I must give Willy Dunne Wooters some credit: The day that I hurt my back, after he left work he brought me medicine and milk and food that I can just heat up. He also sat on the deck for a while with Franklin, who was freaked out because Mommy made scary noises.

3. THIS IS THE ONE THAT PUT ME OVER THE EDGE: THE DISHWASHER IS BROKEN AGAIN.

Remember last year when the Frigidaire's pump broke, so Carol and I went to Lowe's and I bought a Bosch because they're supposed to be so great?

This cat is not mine--as far as I know.
I don't think I have a cat.
Several weeks ago, I opened the Bosch after it was supposed to have washed the dishes. The bottom of it was full of water. Lowe's sent a guy out. The pump had a tiny broken piece. He ordered a new tiny piece. It arrived. He came back and put in the new tiny piece. It was covered by the extended warranty I'd had the good sense to buy.

I ran the dishwasher after it was fixed. It worked okay. Not great. I ran it again earlier this week. It worked about the best it ever has. Dishes clean and reasonably dry.


  • I ran the bastard last night. 
  • I got up this morning.
  • I opened the dishwasher.
  • It hadn't drained.
  • The bottom was full of water.
  • It couldn't have gotten very far into its cycle because the Finish tablet was still in its holder.
  • I called the Lowe's repair service. 
  • A guy named Christian--ironic if you ask me--said the repair people were very busy and couldn't come out till May 11th.
  • He asked, Can I help you with anything else?
  • I said, YES! YOU CAN GET ME SOME PAIN MEDICATION AND PLANT MY BLUE SPRUCE SEEDLING BECAUSE MY BACK IS HURT AND I CAN'T DO IT AND YOU CAN PAINT MY BATHROOM AND YOU CAN WASH THE DISHES THAT DIDN'T GET WASHED IN THE DISHWASHER AND CLEAN UP THE POOL OF WATER IN THE BOTTOM OF THE DISHWASHER.
  • He said, Is there anything I can actually help you with?
  • No, said I, though I should have said, Stop ending your sentences with prepositions or I will turn into Betty Draper shooting Christians instead of pigeons (see yesterday's blog post).
  • I cried. I called The Hurricane and cried. I called Favorite Young Man and cried. We came up with a plan.
  • I called the local repair people myself because they are very nice. I told them that Lowe's said they couldn't come till the 11th, and I had hurt my back. I cried while I talked.
  • The nice lady said they would come on the 4th. She will call me back with a time. 
  • I stopped crying, but I am not in a happy mood.

Infinities of love in spite of it all,

Janie Junebug

50 comments:

  1. That just sucks the big one!! :(

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  2. Hi Janie - hope middle child recovers .. but I do note your back may have gone a little awol .. but your vocal chords haven't??!! Sorry couldn't resist that - having had a broken boiler, just after my hip op .. I can sympathise .. but such is life. Glad it's being fixed on the 4th ... take care over the weekend - buy some paper plates and quit washing up for now .. cheers and I do hope all get better soon ... peeps and things ... Hilary

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    Replies
    1. I have paper plates left over from the most recent dishwasher break.

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  3. Janie, it makes me sad to know that you're having a tough time of it. How's Middle Child feeling today? I hope your injured back is quieting down and that you are becoming more mobile. Franklin loves you and I'm sure he was frightened and confused when you howled in pain. It was sweet of WDW to come to your aid during the crisis. I'm sorry your dishwasher is on the blink again and hope you can deal with the inconvenience three more days. I wish you better days ahead, dear friend.

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    1. I think something is basically wrong with the way it was made or installed. I don't think it can be repaired, and no one wants to admit it. I'm in too much pain to deal with all this.

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  4. Ours did that a while back. Appliance problems are a pain and my sense of urgency was not shared by service people. Disappointing.

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    Replies
    1. Lowe's didn't care, but the service people are nice to me.

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  5. I completely empathize with your rage and frustration. It always seems like after an injury or illness that something goes wrong, like the world is cosmically piling on...to you. (Whew, almost ended in a preposition, sparking a religious war...What? Oh, his name was Christian and so you were referencing murdering people named Christian and not starting a genocide of everyone who believes in Jesus? I know, but suggesting you were starting a faith-based war was funnier.)
    I hope the Middle Child just has a cold or something that will be a quick recovery. These hopes for a speedy recovery are extended to you as well.

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    1. It's not just a cold. I wanted to suggest a faith-based war because it was funnier, but I don't really want to murder Christians because I am one. I don't want to murder anyone. I'm not the killer type, unless it's a palmetto bug or a lizard, and I'm only out to get them if they break the rules and enter my house.

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  6. Awww I'm sorry about all those things! Dishwasher broken = mucho frustration. Ugh.

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  7. Some days it doesn't pay to get out of bed. Go back to bed with a warm compress on your back and sleep the day away, Janie. You deserve it.

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    Replies
    1. I just got up a little while ago. I want to spend the rest of my life in bed.

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  8. That is more stress than anyone needs right now. I hope things improve soon!

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  9. If you have a neighbor with a wet /dry vac, you can get the water out of the dishwasher.

    Broke my back 1984 - it's a drag. Take care of you, best you can!! My sympathy for what may seem like infinities!!

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  10. Janie, I feel awful too. Pain sucks. It debilitates your mind and soul. The 4th is Monday and the nice people who are coming are much smarter than Lowes. I like having nice people available, even if I have to give them my credit card. I hope WDW can be around to get you through the weekend.

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    1. I don't know if I'll see him this weekend. He doesn't do well around people who are sick or in pain.

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  11. Oh wow-Pain is horrible and back pain is so difficult to deal with because one can throw out one's back by doing the tiniest thing. I would go on You Tube and look up "Marketplace-dishwashers). It was for this season. It is a Canadian consumer show that highlight major issues people have to deal with. What you went through is exactly what they showcased on this show. The manufacturers do not make stuff like they used to.

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    Replies
    1. I'll look that up. All over the internet people said Bosch is the boss. Liars.

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    2. Birgit, can you give me the link to that video? I've looked at lots of Bosch dishwasher videos on YouTube, but everything they say is stuff I already do.

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    3. Here is the link-http://www.cbc.ca/marketplace/episodes/2014-2015/appliances-repairmen-unplugged

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  12. Sometimes crying is the only logical & adult thing to do!!

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  13. Sorry it's not been a good week. Hope things improve! Hang in there!

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  14. I'm so sorry Janie. Bad things always tend to happen close together. I hope you get your back sorted out. Poor Franklin just wants you to get better. I can't believe they're making you wait so long to fix you dishwasher. Don't let the jerk get you down. Hang in there Janie. Sending you plenty of virtual hugs.

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    Replies
    1. At least the editing is going well. It's nice to have some things that are good.

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  15. I have a Bosch as well...funny. I bought it from Lowes.

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    1. I remember you said you hate the filter. Do you have trouble with it not draining?

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  16. We've been in our house now for eight years and every appliance has broken and needed fixing except the dishwasher. Maybe I shouldn't have said this.

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  17. What a nice lady, managing to come and see you on the fourth :) Hope your back gets better!

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    Replies
    1. I think my back and the dishwasher are better.

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  18. OK Stop that right now !
    I hope you are feeling better ! Your back OMG so very bad !
    Is second child better ? but most of all how is how is Franklin ?

    First mistake...
    Lowes although better than Home Depot but ....
    I will never buy any appliances from them again.

    When I bought my home 8 years ago I had to replace the frig, oven and dishwasher.
    I had just moved back to Tucson after 30+ years away. So I went to Lowes. I talked to the sales person about everything and bought Kitchenmaid. Dependable Kitchenmaid. A year later I found out while trying to get dishwasher and oven repaired, they are made by Kenmore. If I wanted Kenmore I would have bought Kenmore. The repair men that came out told me a line of the computer does this and that and blah blah blah.
    I went to a local appliances store and bought a new washer and dryer. They care, great service. If there is a problem zoom they are here. Thank goodness.

    cheers, parsnip


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    1. Whirpool and Maytag are now the same thing. I don't know why they don't change the name to Whirltag.

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    2. What a brain I have... It is Electrolux and I love them.

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  19. Cherdo will radiate happy thoughts until that dang dishwasher gets with the program.

    I'm sorry about kid-sickness, dishwasher-betrayal, and back-bull. I will not, however, end this sentence with a preposition - out of my undying affection. I cannot, however, promise not to write a run on sentence because I write like I think.

    So, there's that. Go and subdue.

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  20. hi! hope middle child and you get well soon. some days are just harder. hope that the dishwasher is up again. take care. x

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  21. Damn. Sorry about the dishwasher. I don't have one at my house cuz, well, I am the dishwasher! But I don't mind doing dishes. I do hate aching backs because let's face it, if your back is out, there's not a whole lot you can do besides nothing. Hope you feel better soon and that dishwasher is fixed lickety-split!

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    Replies
    1. I can't be the dishwasher. My back hurts if I stand very long.

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  22. A sick kid... not god. Back pain... not good, and it only goes to show that people don't mind people getting murdered (knock on wood). Yes, I clearly remember last year when the Frigidaire's pump broke... Betty Draper shooting Christians... not good, but I guess you already know.

    I'm sorry your week has been crappy, Janie. At least Willy Dunne Wooters took care of you. He never stops by at my house. ;)

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    1. He'll probably stop by if you offer to order pizza.

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  23. Hey Janie,

    A brief comment. Hoping your back gets better. I recall what a hassle a back pain can be. The pain ended up all the way down to my ass.

    I have no need for a dishwasher. I just let the dog lick the plates and back into the cupboards they go. Sorry about middle child. I wondered about her absence.

    Gary

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    1. It wouldn't bother me to let the dog lick the plates, but some freeloaders show up here and they'd make a fuss. I guess I should tell them to eat some place else, but I'm too fond of them.

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  24. Oh boy...

    I hope child, back and dishwasher are all better soon.

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  25. Bad things always come in threes, don't they? I hope middle child is feeling better, and that you're feeling better too. Modern appliances... for making our lives easier, they sure can make them miserable too, can't they?

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