It's a Sad Day...

I knew it was coming.  It was just a matter of time.  The signs were there -- a small repair here, another repair there.  I just kept hoping but the news of the demise came as a harsh reality today.

My washing machine I purchased when I stopped working in downtown Chicago in 1983 died.  I'm so sad.  

This Maytag machine, along with its partner dryer, was my big purchase when I cashed out my 401K from FMC.  For 3 years of marriage, I had dragged laundry to the nearby laundromat, sometimes at 8:00 at night.  Now sometimes, you could not pay me enough to drag my butt down the road with piles of laundry, but when the clean underwear was gone, there was no choice.  So I made the big purchase.   They are older than my children.  And up until recently, better behaved.  Now the dryer is still working, albeit I'm sure the energy efficiency rating is non-existent.

So, I had to go shopping.. because of course, the machine stopped working with a load of wet laundry in it.  Last night.  About 8:30 pm.  It's not good to not have a working washer.  Luckily it was the last load to be washed after running almost non-stop on Sunday. 

Off to Sears because that's where the repairman suggested I go.  Looking for a Whirlpool washer.  I learned many things as Sears -- 

• Almond/bisque/beige is no longer a color option on any of the models even remotely in my price range
• Front loading washers are really cool looking
• Model numbers were invented to confuse the crap out of every buyer
• Standard sizes from 1983 are no longer made
• Porcelain or paint?
• Knobs or buttons?
• 3.2 cu ft or 3.5 cu ft?
• Almost all dryers are 7.0 cu ft.
• At Sears, all hoses are extra.  All dryer connections are extra.  I think the lint trap was extra.
• The really cool colors cost more.
• There are too many stinking choices.

SO, I thought I should stop by Home Depot.  Here's what I learned:

• All of the above.
• Go home without a washer and do some homework.

And so I spent about 2 hours on the computer searching through the models I wrote down and trying to compare.  Just about the time I thought I found the one, I clicked on the "Reviews" tab and went into a black hole.  Guess looks are insignificant if you want the thing to actually clean your clothes consistently for more than 2 months.  

OK, so let's check option 2.  And option 3.  And option 4,5,6.  Now, I realize not everyone will have a perfect experience with their washer, but when the majority have the same flashing error F51, you start to think this is not the way to go.   

And so, I finally narrowed it down and decided on a model.  Back to the Sears website because they have a sale and free something and free something else.  What they don't have is the washer -- until middle of next week.   

Now, I do know some things and one of them is that living without a washing machine for more than a week is NOT an option.  Keith returns to school on Sunday from Spring break and sending him back to school on the train with dirty clothes just sounds disgusting.  

By this time, I'm simply overwhelmed.  I check out another local appliance store website and it appears they have what I think I want.  Gregg and I hop in the car (yes, hop!) and head to the store to be met by a very nice young man whose eyes light up when we say we need a washer.  He takes us back to their collection of 15-20 washer/dryer combos and the confusion begins all over again.  In the end, we bought a GE Profile stainless tub washer that I could put Michael into and get him clean.  And, of course, since Murphy is still alive and well and bound to visit Wheaton again REAL SOON, we simply opted to buy the matching partner dryer.  Because I think they are happier that way.  

And besides, the washer only came in white and my dryer is almond/bisque/beige.  That just won't do.  But the dryer I currently have still works well.  So I have become one of those consumers who is driven to impulse buying for stupid reasons like color and matching buttons and knobs.  I'm trying to tell myself it is because it will be much more energy efficient and so we will save money in the long run.  

Anyone need a good working dryer?  It will be available beginning Sunday.  $100 or best offer.  You come and get it :).   Somehow, I don't think I'll get 26 years out of this set, but then again, you never know.....