I hate washing machines....and other ramblings

Today's first post is a little "non-biodiesel" related "rant".

I'm now doing my business full time (Utah Biodiesel Supply) and I've been trying to help out around the house (keeps the Mrs. happy). As part of my "duties", I've been helping to do the laundry.

My first task was to get the laundry room organized so I could walk in, sort clothes, & start a batch of wash.

A trip to Wallys World (Yes, the dreaded Wal-Mart to some of you...is that shiver running up your spine yet?) netted me 4 laundry baskets. Two Blue, One Tan, and one white.

Blue#1 - Towels
Blue#2 - Dark Clothes
Tan - Light Clothes
White - White Clothes (duh!)

So, the past couple of weeks, when I've been in town (I was in Denver last week at the Biodiesel Conference (http://www.collectivebiodiesel.org) I've been helping do the laundry & keep on top of it with these super-cool laundry baskets.

Enter this morning (Damn washing machine!)
So I get up early (even went to BED early), got showered & dressed & decided to help the wife out by starting a batch of laundry.

So I walk in, sort out a bunch of laundry, put the whites in the washer & get it started, push the knob, turn the knob and "SNAP!" the knob falls off! CURSES!!!

So, here I sit with a load of laundry that's started and the knob to the washer in my hand. UGH!!! Not ANOTHER problem! (This week has been sheer hell!).

So, I think to myself, "Oh great, NOW what do I do?"

Tried the super glue....funny, super glue never works, I think it's the greatest hoax known to man....

OK, now what? So I jump online out to Sears website cause my washer is a Sears Lady Kenmore Heavy Duty 90 Series (I'm good, huh!)

See how to get the model # off the stupid thing, go back over to it and write it down, go online to Sears Parts website (man that thing is cool!) and start looking for my part.

Can't find it so I call the parts line & they walk me through finding it (I had a digit off when I was writing it down) and we determine what the part is.

$21.99 for that stupid knob!
$17.99 to expedite the stupid thing!
Add on tax & whoala! My "helping with the laundry" just turned into $40.00 that I really didn't want to spend!

Here's the diagram to my washer.


I had to buy Part #13.

$21.99 for that stupid knob!!!

So, for now we get to use a pair of pliers to start the stupid washing machine and I'm contemplating if I still like helping with the laundry. Seems every time I help something happens. When I first started helping the dryer started going "Thump, Thump, thump" Turns out the drum inside the dryer has a hole in it from wearing itself out.

A little Duct tape fixed that sucker! Ha! I won! I beat those stupid appliances....at least for now.

I'm sure in the not-so-distant future I'll be spending a crap load of hard earned mula on a new washer & dryer set. For now the duct tape, pliers, and a $41.00 part will have to do.

-Graydon
The Rabid Biodiesel Nut