“Remoted” – Day 166 (Saturday)

The morning was cloudy and rainy and perfect for tackling laundry and vacuuming and maybe some vegetable roasting. By 8:30, tomatoes were blanched, peeled, and a sauce started. By 9:30, with no clean silverware left in the drawer except for large serving pieces, and the coffee mugs and drinking glasses running low, the soap dispenser was filled to run the dishwasher.

The door shut, but the latch didn’t click like usual. The machine started but didn’t sound normal. A puddle collected on the floor. The machine was stopped, the door opened and the latch poked. The door closed but the latch still didn’t click shut. The machine began and still sounded not right. Again, the cycle was cancelled. This was not like the last time the door latch was wonky and it fixed itself after a couple tries. Floor puddle removal commenced.

An online video shows how to fix the latch on what looks like my exact dishwasher, but I mentally checked out at “turn off the breaker” and the very specific screwdriver needed. A search for “dishwasher repair near me,” delivered the name of an appliance sales and service shop nearby and a service call scheduled for September 9^th. Until then, the dishes will be done the old-fashioned way. 

Apparently, with more people spending more time at home, appliances everywhere are going on strike and repair teams are hopping busy. For a small add-on fee, the service appointment was expanded to include the clothes washer, which has been off balance for at least three years and only used on the hand wash cycle. Any other cycle has the machine thrashing and ready to launch out of the laundry closet on the spin cycle. I kept thinking I’d meet a handyman but that fantasy only happens in Hallmark Movies after the big-city career gal returns home to the tiny town of her youth.

So much silverware.

An hour was spent methodically unloading the dishwasher and hand washing and drying every plate, bowl, glass, mug and piece of silverware therein. There is no dish drainer, because, well, dishwasher. 

A tedious bail out process involving a plastic cup and three towels removed the inch of water from the bottom of the dishwasher, which would be gross and swampy sitting there until the service call. 

After dealing with the dishes and the machine, there was no longer any energy or interest for dealing with the originally scheduled tasks.

Sometimes it seems the underlying cosmic theme to life is “No good day goes unpunished.” Every good day must be offset by a less good, not-so great day. Not hurricane horrible, or wildfire horrendous, or tornado terrible, thank goodness. Just less lovely and more annoying than the good day before. Perhaps it’s to inspire full appreciation of those good days when they happen? Maybe it’s just me.