Airing Dirty Laundry

Maggie has somewhere between 75 and 100 scarves. She wear sometimes two at a time to cover her trach and we use a lot of them every day. I just learned that Maggie's extensive scarf collection lasts six days before I have to do laundry. Before this week I never let it get low enough to figure that out. However, when your washing machine breaks on a Friday and the guy doesn't come out until Tuesday, you learn important things like this.

This house without a working washing machine is not good. I do a TON of laundry because one unnamed young woman in this houses produces at least two loads a day on her own. Getting behind on laundry is not a good idea, and I am almost constantly behind. Fortunately, last week I caught up for the first time since at least last May when Tim moved home.  Tim also produces a ton of laundry, but he washes his own stuff. There was almost always a giant pile of his stuff in the laundry room that I would ignore.When he left for Chicago three weeks ago, he got everything clean. Of course that meant he hogged the facilities for several days putting me farther behind, but finally last week everything in the house was clean -- for about five minutes. That would be when the washing machine decided to take a break. Now I'm behind again.

 I washed a load Friday morning with no problem. I put in another Friday afternoon and the machine would not turn on. The lights went on, you could hear something start, but nothing. It just would not engage. I tried various things, switching cycles, water temps, opened and closed the door and the detergent drawer. Nothing. When Steve got home he looked at it. Steve can fix anything. Not this. Because there's an electronic panel on the front I did my favorite thing, unplugged the machine, let it reset and plugged it back in. Nothing. By this time it is the weekend and the repair place won't be open until Monday morning. 

I called Monday, but they couldn't come until Tuesday. OK. I looked at the scarves and they were holding out. I had until about noon Wednesday before I had to start washing them by hand. The guy arrived right on time and we headed down to the laundry room together. I told him my sad story, he pressed the button, listened and then reached over and ....TURNED ON THE WATER. Then it worked fine. I stared at him and said, "You have to be kidding me." 

It is a complete mystery how that water was turned off. I didn't do it, Steve didn't do it. Maggie' can't do it. The nurses don't go down there. We haven't had any workmen here. I better make sure Brisco the wonder dog gets some steak because he may be playing tricks on us. 

Oh, and the cost of having the guy turn the spigot? $90.

The stupidity I feel?  Priceless.