Saturday, January 30, 2010

perspective

Our dishwasher broke last night.

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For those keeping count, this would be the ... 12th time? ... in less than three years that our dishwasher has ceased working. (Kicking and cursing never helps.)

We often wonder why we don't just replace it - but then we remember we paid a large sum for an extended warranty and so all of the repairs are covered. Although at this point, we're beginning to think that it would be less heartache to pay for a replacement, then go without a dishwasher for several days at a time, once every few months.

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Since we rely upon the dishwasher more frequently than our washing machine - the misery of losing this critical appliance until next Thursday (when the repairman comes) is positively excruciating. But the kids think it's great. They are more than happy to wash the dishes.

There's something about soap and water and bubbles that brings them tremendous joy.

So until Thursday rolls around, I'm lowering my standards on what defines clean. The kids are having a great time and since I'm not the one washing dishes, I'm embracing the concept of having a great time, too.

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I mean, they're using soap and filtered water.

How bad can it really be?

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We'll just postpone our fancy dinner parties until next weekend.

8 comments:

  1. We wash our dishes and hands in snow water and boiled ice. . . in the same pan. (until I was 12, and when we are at camp on the weekends)

    Running water is a luxury, and right now one of our bathroom's is frozen (I might be one of the only people in my village with three bathrooms, probably because of the lack of them growing, I"m making up for it now) so we can't use it at all, until it gets to at least zero degrees and we get under the house with a heat gun to melt it.

    But, on another hand...my kids LOVE washing dishes. Wait, strike that, my Six year old LOVES washing dishes. So we let her. I think growing up like I did, without all the fancy stuff like a dishwasher, or running water just makes me less germophobic. Hell, we have all our shots! :) hehehe...

    P.S. Filtered water? Like you poured filtered water into the sink, or you somehow have a filter on your water source??? I'm totally confused.

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  2. We paid $299 for our dishwasher 10 years ago and it has never broken once. GET A NEW ONE. You should tweet about it like Dooce did about her washing machine and they gave her a new one.

    (I can hear the bearing going bad in my front load washing machine though and that puts the fear of God in me.)

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  3. Thoes kids are just perfect. Why do you need a dishwasher when you have three oops four right on hand. Aunt Ann woulden't have one in her house, she practices singing while washing dishes. They are getting so big and sooooo smart.

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  4. We had a similar problem with our refrigerator - several repairs (under warranty) in a short time. We finally convinced the company to replace it - citing Lemon Laws. Sounds like you need a new machine and the company should replace it for you.

    I bet the kids are keeping the dishes quite clean because they probably use lots of suds.

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  5. triplets on Supernanny next AFriday according to the previews.
    Ruth

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  6. We're without a dishwasher too right now because of renovations. It was okay for the first few days, kind of like camping. But no running water in the kitchen and no dishwasher for six people is getting old fast...it's been a week and I can't wait til the countertops and plumber come. How long do you have to wait?

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  7. I have never had a dishwasher since I have had children... and I LOVE it when henry shows interest in doing the dishes. I totally look past the missed crumbs ;)

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  8. They are sooo cute!!! I hate washing dishes so I vote new washer!!

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