Laundry Lament

The trouble with working at home is that you are at home, making it hard to ignore disaster in the laundry room. Mind you, the Maytag avocado washer and dryer dated to 1978 and had been bought, after careful research, to survive until our last son finished college. Even with prices in those days, we knew we didn’t need appliance purchases added to a budget with two-at-a-time tuitions. This appliance pair has contributed to the loneliness of Maytag repairmen having had one minor repair to the washer and one new lint filter for the dryer in the ensuing years.

But the washer began galumping around several weeks ago, giving a warning that its time was near. I was only surprised that the dryer quit first. After the normal dryer time elapsed Saturday morning, I reached in to take out the laundry only to find the load as wet and cold as when I put it in. My husband, ever the conservative, wanted to call a repairman for life support. But I reasoned that the elderly appliances surely had signed a “Do not resuscitate” order. After all, the aforementioned son finished college in 1992. His oldest son is filling out college applications for this fall.

My Saturday “To Do List” included finishing a book I was reading [remember that is part of a writer’s work] and some scribbling between my loads of laundry. Appliance shopping was not on the list. It was added – at the top.

Tomorrow we will take delivery of a new white washer and dryer. The old avocado ones will not be cremated but recycled. The salesman made no promises that the new ones will last 34 years. In fact, he said he had never heard before of any that had lasted that long.

They lived a good life and fulfilled their purpose. May they rest in peace.