The Day My Washer became Scrap Metal

I have to say, I think the machine deserves a few words. A eulogy or a poem, some sort of tribute is due.   There ought to be some sort of service for the service rendered by a machine that has been with us only since 2007, but which was subjected to daily and sometimes double daily, and sometimes triple or even quadruple daily duty.  My dryer died three weeks ago and I suspect my washing machine at the time thought, "We can do that?" 

So Friday, it made  a terrific noise, like a jet engine preparing for take off.  Honestly, I came over because whatever it was, I knew it wasn't good.  I opened the machine to find the rim was off and suspected much more.  But I could fix the rim so I did.  For two days I observed said machine and while it took in clothes and water and soap, it did not get the clothes clean.  It did not rotate the drum.  So I had an odd Neapolitan mix of dry clothes on top, damp clothes in the middle and sopping wet stuff on the bottom.  I could spin the drum and flip the pile at intervals to keep up appearances and sort of wash the stuff, but I knew a repairman was in my future.
I hate calling repairmen. 

I hate when they come and a thirty second search and fifteen cent part later, they are charging me 60-100 dollars for said repair.   I also hate calling them and an hour later having them pronounce my machine dead and also give me a bill for 60-100 dollars for the diagnosis as deceased.  I never feel like I get my money's worth. 

The pediatricians give out stickers at the end of an appointment and the dentists give out tooth brushes whether or not you had a cavity.  My thinking is, if the appliance is dead, the service man ought to at least play taps or offer you the cathartic option to use their heaviest hammer on said dead machine to get out some frustrations.   Like "Why is it you are crapping out on me?  I've been doing the laundry for ages. I fold everything you wash and I'm not falling apart!"  Though one might argue that this quote alone proves that at least something in me has deteriorated in the past 45 years of living.

So I'm here today to bid farewell to the Bousch Nexxt 500 high efficiency machine.  It did its job as long as I did mine.   I never loved it, but I hate it now.   I do not appreciate its exquisite timing, knowing that we were planning a trip and that I now get to lug laundry to be washed at the mat and needed another errand this week.  It was work while it worked.  It is still work, now that it is not working.  

I shall drink a glass of wine and eat cake.  These extra carbs shall result in my hips having a permanent record of the end of said machine's service.  I resent that too.   Adeiu Bousch!  We shall not meet again. 

P.S. Now my dish washer is acting up.

What am I doing and Why am I doing it exactly?

"Remember that thou art dust and to dust, thou shall return." Excepting I can't.  The upstairs machine awaits a belt and sits idle in the meantime while the dirt devils and dust bunnies breed.  As such, the "to dust" on my list remains undone.

I thought I could cope.  Then my shop vac quit.  My 12.5 horsepower 20 gallon wet dry industrial machine that is only six months old (bought it on Mother's day), couldn't cut it.  In mid cleaning of the kitchen, it just turned itself off.  I called it a cheater, a quitter and a lazy bum.  I kicked it, cursed it, took it apart and still, it sits like a large hunk of useless plastic, daring me to throw it out but it knows I don't want to, I want it to work.
 
There's a metaphore in there somewhere about government but like the dust bunnies, I'll just let it sit there waiting for pick up.
But because Nature adores a vacumn, the belts I ordered for the other machine arrived today.  It took all morning to disassemble and attach the new belt. 

Appliances in my home must age in dog years.  In terms of jobs created or saved, I'm not sure if the dishswasher, dryer, washer and stove are labor saving devices or not. 

 I think they freeze up to get a vacation, because my dishwasher also decided to lose a 99 cent pin holding the upper rack in place.  Having called the appliance store and then done that circuit route again to find the place that would have the part, I ordered it and the piece will arrive next week. I told my husband, it's like the cleaning machines are on strike.

He pointed out, "You could too you know."  They don't have to work if they don't work.

Now there's an idea....hmmmmm.