My Not So Beautiful Launderette

Flickr photo from oldohioschools

So my dryer broke on December 16th.

Well, was broken is more accurate.

I made the mistake of calling Sears to get service on my 2 year old reeeeeallly expensive Electrolux front-load washer because the little drawer that holds the detergent was not closing properly. Nothing a little piece of scotch tape didn't fix--and in the household of my youth, would have been the solution until the thing finally died and was replaced. We had a dryer in my house growing up that wouldn't run unless to took one of Harlie's skis and wedged it between the dryer door and the wall of the laundry room. That's how we ran the thing. For about a decade.

One of the things that happens when you marry a an Upper-middle class Connecticut Yankee is that you always get the extended warranty service plan.

So I called Sears about the silly little door issue.

And a guy came with a tool box and after some futzing determined that he would need to order a new drawer assembly.

Unwilling to put the tool box back in the van without even having cracked it open, he decided to do a little preventive maintenance on my dryer since it is also covered by the extended service warranty. Apparently preventive maintenance is shop speak for mangle.

I have not had a working dryer since.

All y'all know I have five kids, right?

And a Korean exchange student?

And a husband?

All of whom are filthy pigs?

The laundry situation is beyond grim.

Some of these people have actually had to use a bath towel a second time.

Child abuse!

4 more parts ordered and installed.

6 more house calls/unpaid absences from work.

18 calls to Sears to complain, cajole and cry.

5 trips to the laundromat.

And it ain't over.

I'm headed back to the laundromat on Louden Road this afternoon.

Don't forget to honk and wave.