A moment in the madness
Please note – all images only slightly related to content. Taken DURING events* described in content however, so I am sharing them to brighten this post anyway!
It’s been quite a week.
Because my quiet country life doesn’t offer me enough regular challenges – *cough cough* – this week the Gods have decided to up the ante.
It started with my washing machine. I have a lovely little 8.5kg front loader which can do an awesome job on getting our oft-times filthy apparel clean as a whistle. Until it doesn’t. Until it gets all leaky-and-beepy-and-light-flashy on me.
Then it becomes the bane of my life.
And no matter how hard I WILLED it to come back to life, it refused.
I am heavily dependent on my washing machine. Two very active kiddos, two hard-working men and me (who gets slobbered on my enthusiastic poddy calves three times a day) produces a LOT of dirty clothes. I am a daily washer. Until last weekend.
On Tuesday I carted the machine an hour and a half to the nearest repairer, with the help of a receptionist hauled it out of the car, and wished it a speedy recovery.
I have since visited to the town laundromat (50km away), my mother’s and our long-suffering neighbours (the latter almost daily) to try to keep up with the avalanche of laundry. The chances of items getting waylaid in this process? Approximately 111%. Guaranteed.
Washing at someone else’s house has enlightened me to a strange fact: a minute in Front Loader Time is not the same as a minute in Human Time. It’s true. I timed it and it’s up to twice as long. (*Hence the photos in this post of blooms in my neighbour’s garden!)
Meanwhile the repairer is patiently dealing with daily pleading phone calls from me as they await parts to fix the problem.
Then the pool pump died. Those who know me, know how much pride I feel when I FINALLY get our huge in-ground pool (built by my father some 55 years ago) clear and clean. And it was. Until Tuesday afternoon. Despite the ministrations of our leaf-sucking pool robot and an enormous amount of chlorine, and much skimming, the pool is once again reverting to Shrek Swamp status. I believe parts are being waited on at that service shopfront too.
And yesterday, as I was about to leave the house to take Dash and Violet to their after-school cricket and swimming commitments, I noticed something horrible.
My blog had vanished. Many of you noticed and emailed, facebooked and messaged me about it.
I distracted myself from my online break-in by cheering for my kiddos (who are holding their own at the local swimming club), feeding them fish and chips in the car on the way home. After tucking their weary little bodies into bed, I settled in to a nice spot of blog-fixing. Soooooo much fun. (Yes, I took a glass of wine with me!).
Don’t ask me why, but (according to my host contact in Houston, Texas) it’s possible that someone decided to hack and disable this little blog. Nice. I felt a little sorry for my host support person, as I tried to go all Nancy Drew for them, investigating my blog traffic to try to nail the offender. He was very patient with me too.
Apparently I shouldn’t give up my day job!
To top it off it is VERY hot here today. Hot and supremely sweaty, adding to the laundry aroma impressively! I am frantically watering our lawn to keep it from turning up it’s crunchy toes…
The moral of today’s yarn?
Don’t lend me anything electronic/computery/mechanical.
Eventually even I have trouble seeing the beauty in the chaos that seems to reign.
Please wish me luck in getting everything up and running again. And not breaking it again.
And while you are wishing and a praying, some real rain would be nice too!
In hope,
And sweat,
And a smelly pile of laundry,
Ever Yours…
BB xx
15 Comments
Fleur
LOL – I know how you feel about the washing machine minutes aer not human minutes. Sometimes they are quicker, but more often than not, about five minutes SLOOOOWEEER.
Given we’ve had over 70mm here in the last five days and we really dont’ want it, I’d offer you some of ours. You can take the wind, which is sitting at about 50km/hr too. Don’t say I don’t offer to give you anything!
Bush Babe
So very jealous of your 70mm. How come it loves arriving where it is least wanted? You can keep your wind though (take that however you wish!).
😉
BB
Nancy in Iowa
I could send you some cool weather – it was 15 deg. F when I first woke up around 7:45 this morning. It’s now almost 2am and it’s 25 deg.
I have stacking washer/dryer in my apt., so if they break I would have to wait a few days for the offsite maintenance guy to show up. The dryers have never been a problem, but the first washer they installed over 3 years ago leaked all over the carpet with the first load on the first day. I wasn’t aware of it – was at my computer when Emma the Beautiful Calico Queen came over and rubbed against my leg for attention – her tail was sopping wet!
Good luck with it all.
Bush Babe
Thanks Nancy – love your Diagnosis Cat. My maintenance guy sadly wasn’t keen to help with a warranty covered washer. 🙂
Debby
We are being dusted by snow daily. It doesn’t stay and accumulate (yay!) but temperatures hover around the freezing mark.
A washer breakdown is quite possibly the very worst thing. I remember once when Dylan was young, my washer broke down, and a repairman came in. Dylan watched intently. I took a nap on the couch (I worked night shift), and woke up to discover that Dylan has disassembled the washer.
Tim came over that evening, and I was agitated (get it? A washer joke) and he said, “Don’t ever discourage him from tearing things apart. That’s how I learned.”
I knew that he’d be a good dad to my boy. He has been.
Debby´s last blog post ..Work
Bush Babe
SNOW… oh that sounds heavenly. As does your Tim, in his own way.
*sigh*
Andrew
I don’t feel quite so bad about our almost new air con unit dripping into an ice cream container after it wet the carpet.
Bush Babe
Pleased to help you out Andrew!
😉
Buttons
Oh The flowers are certainly a beautiful distraction from the crap:)
I do hope you get your rain, your washer fixed, your pump pumping and your blog woes vanish.
That happened to my blog months ago and I almost died. Hackers is what they told me too. Hackers who would want to know the secrets hidden in a farmers blog? Tell me that. Good luck and thanks for brightening my day at least. B
Buttons´s last blog post ..Goodbye Rural Thursday Blog Hop!
Bush Babe
I know… no secrets here!! Thanks for the positive wishes…
🙂
BB
jeanie
lol I am combining the washing machine problem and the pool problem for you and thinking – but you have a river and rocks?
Sorry – I have been known to look for humour where there is none to be found. Nancy Drew you may not be, and if I had a day job I also understand that I should not give it up for such pursuits…
jeanie´s last blog post ..Delayed Gratification
Jodie aka Mummaducka
May i suggest that you immediately go and buy a second washing machine!!! And try to get a 10Kg one. It is the absolute best housekeeping move I ever made-If one breaks down you always have a backup! I am no longer a slave in the Laundry- and buy yourself a washer dryer combo- you can put the towels or sheets in before you go to work (or out for a day in the paddock!) and come home to them all ready to go back into use. My energies and skills are far better used in places other than the Laundry!
Colin (HB)
It sure is bloody hot! (Saturday 1.00pm)
When you put this up, my washing machine decided not to work! I am now doing washing at off peak – so I wake up at midnight and turn it on. Well, this time it didn’t – yeaks! That’s when I decided to take my mind of washing machines and look at the few blogs I view.
I tried again at 2.00am and moved the bloody thing, I remembered that some pegs had dropped behind it the last time moved a centimetre and presto! And thus to sleep!
I hope Mr “I” is not watching this test in Perth? I am/was. Best if I stopped, it might be benefical to the Aussies?
Ponting just got out – OUCH!
Leenie
Oh, but you DID see some of the beauty in the chaos. The photos are a blessing to these eyes that can only see gray and cold out the window. Best wishes for arrival of parts from parts unknown and prompt repair of the broken things plus some cooling rain.
Leenie´s last blog post ..VIRTUALLY VISITING NEW BRUNSWICK
Ray L
Thanks for your information. I know… no secrets here!! Thanks for the positive wishes. It’s very helpful post.