Set back # 1

I have found that just about the time one feels secure in doing some things around the house that are a bit more expensive, you wind up spending big bucks on expensive stuff.

I am preparing to put together a nice room in my basement where I can put my sewing equipment so I can enjoy my passion and still have use of my living room and dining room where I can have company without thinking that I am exhibiting hoarding tendencies (which I probably do, anyway... at least where it comes to fabric).

So, I have found a microwave oven to put downstairs so I can nuke lunch or dinner without having to be upstairs.  I am emptying the freezer in the basement.  I will donate it to the church, if they can use it, or sell it and replace it with a small fridge or used one so I can keep sodas and various foods in the basement.  I also have a Keurig coffee maker that I do not use, and I will have that in the basement too, for coffee and tea.  With the TV from the Maryland bedroom and a day bed, I might never come upstairs except to go to the bathroom.

Over the last couple of months, I have been finding the occasional black mark in my clean laundry.  It looks like an oil stain (I was used to them when Rudy was alive) but I could never find what I might have washed or dried that could have made that stain.  The last few weeks, it has been showing up more frequently and I finally determined it was happening in the washer.

Today I had a very nice young man from Lancaster come in and check out my washer.  He ran some tests and, running water in it, changing to different settings and listening (I had noticed the washer being louder and louder as it ran) to determine that the bearings in the plastic drum (not the motor) that holds the water and allows the drum to spin, were shot.... I will be looking at this as it comes out of the washer and after it is out, believe me!  It could easily account for the little drips of oil that were getting into the washer if the seal is breaking down as well.

So the estimate to fix, parts and labor.. close to $500.00.  A new washer would run a few to quite a few dollars more, but still......really???  And they have to come back and completely tear the washer apart to install the new part.  And the washer is just a bit over 3 years old.  It is an LG.  The motor was guaranteed  for 10 years, the drum for life.  This part is neither, so only a year and it is so out of warranty!

I will get it fixed and hope the replacement part goes longer.  Next time I will have to think seriously of replacing the washer!

I hope that his is not going to be the first of three.  They said things like this come in threes!  Please, for my sake, let this be just one!