2004-02-27 - 8:15 p.m.
Well, as it turned out, it was too late to cancel my order for the washing machine I didn't need (see post below for the prelude to this story). They did give me the option of getting out of the deal, but it would cost me $100, and I would get nothing. So I decided to get the machine. (And secretly, I was sort of hoping it was too late to cancel the order!)
And let me tell you, this is one amazing washer! It slices, it dices, it chops! Ok, no, it doesn't slice, dice, or chop......but what it does do, is weigh the laundry to determine how much water to use. It is so super energy effecient, that it uses just at tiny bit of water, and just a tiny dollop of detergent. And it has a touch screen computer that is like a mini laptop for your laundry. You can choose which type of fabric you are washing, which color, what type of stain (there are settings from motor oil to cream cheese!). Do you want hot, warm, cold, or SUPER cold? There are settings for delicate and hand wash. You can tell it if you are washing a sweat shirt or a towel or a silk scarf! It's quite amazing. I think I may have to take a class to learn all its functions!
So in the end, I am glad I bought the new washer (now I just have to figure out how to pay for it!) The picture above shows both the washer and dryer, but I only got the washer (the one on the left)......the picture below, is the inside of the washer. It lookes like a jet engine or something! Notice it has no agitator in the middle.....pretty cool, huh?!
Alright, enough about the washer......I know I was going to blog about soooo many other things this week, but it's been terribly busy here.....and tomorrow I'm back on the road. But stay tuned, I promise there's more to come.
2004-02-22 - 9:40 p.m.
Hello from Astoria! Well, my trip has been a bit of an adventure so far, and I have quite a bit of good blog material.....but I may have to dole this out over a few days, as I am exhausted right now. It's been a very busy weekend! But first let me start with the washing machine fiasco.
About a million years ago (like when I was 17), I bought the most fabulous, high~tech washer and dryer I could find (and I special ordered them in black.....because all appliances should be black.....don't you think?!). Oh, and they were expensive....way beyond what I could afford at the time, but I had that magical thing called a credit card! And I have always been known to go way beyond my means....especially if it means getting something functional that looks cool.
So anyway, my beloved black washer and dryer have served me well all these years......until last September. For some reason, I could no longer get the washer to work if I picked hot water, but it would still wash in cold. I realized that the end was probably near, and resigned myself to the idea that soon I would be needing to replace the beloved washer.
Now, as you know, I don't live full time in Astoria. So when I got here last week, I wasn't really too concerned about the washer.....I figured I could make do with only being able to wash in cold. Until I realized that I couldn't even wash in cold anymore! The washer was dead! Completely. Oy!
So I set about looking for a new washer.
Of course, knowing me, as you do.....you probably have already guessed that I went in search of something expensive and way beyond my means.....that also happens to be black, high~tech, and way cool. Yes. And I found it. And I bought it. And it's supposed to be delivered Tuesday.
But here's the thing.....I just discovered that I don't need it. The washer works just fine.
Mysteriously, it seems that the water to my current washing machine had been turned off......first the hot water, sometime prior to September......and now the cold water, sometime between October and now. I have had some contractors in the building while I was away, but they weren't working anywhere near the water supply for the washer. And nobody told me about turning the water off. Oy.
So now I have a dilemma. The washer I ordered and paid for on Saturday, I bought through a small local appliance store. I'm sure they (the three people who work there) all had a good time Saturday night spending their commissions....or at least, planning on how they would spend their commissions (did I mention it was an expensive washer?!) But now I don't need the washer....or the extravagant expense. I'm pretty sure that if I call them tomorrow, they'll refund my money.....but I feel incredibly guilty!!!! If they don't refund my money, that's fine....I committed to it. (And I would really like to have this *really cool* washer.) But now that I don't need it, it seems overly extravagant.
Argh. This whole thing is such a fiasco. What would you do??
comments??? (4 so far...) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~2004-02-18 - 5:31 p.m.
I can't believe what just happened......I was just robbed!! And it's broad daylight out....and my car was in my own driveway!!! I was packing up my car to get ready to go to Astoria tomorrow and had just put in my new microwave (remember my cute blue micro?!). I left the back hatch of the car open because I was just going in and out of the house to get another box. In the time it took to walk from the car to the living room, probably 30 seconds, someone pulled up behind my car, jumped out, grabbed the microwave, and sped off down the street!
Can you believe that?!!!!! OY!!
I ran out of the house and started screaming at them, but there was nothing I could do.....it happend so fast. And no, I didn't get the license....but I do know what kind of car it was so I called the police, and they said they would send someone out.
Argh! I always leave the car open when I'm loading and unloading.....it seems insane to have to lock it up between loads.....until now! I shudder at the thought of what I could have lost. Ironically I was only packing up the stuff that I consider the *non~valuables*. I was going to pack the valuable stuff (like my laptop) just before I leave. And it's not so much the loss of the microwave that bothers me, the micro wasn't that important.....but that someone would do this, right here, in the middle of the day, when I was right there. I am soooo mad about this, I'm practically shaking!! Grrrr!!!
I guess I'll load the rest of the stuff tomorrow....with keys in hand! Now I'm going to go have a cocktail. Watch your stuff people! Thieves suck!!!!!
comments??? (3 so far...) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~2004-02-17 - 11:25 p.m.
So tomorrow I'm really going to try to make the decision *weather* or not to make the drive up to Astoria or turn around and go back to L.A. I had fully intended to leave tomorrow, but the weather has been so miserable....and and and...etc. etc. etc.
I don't really want to go.
If I do go, I'll leave on Thursday (it's supposed to be sunny!) and I'll drive up to the mid Oregon coast (probably Yachats). This way, when I actually arrive in Astoria on Friday, I might get there while it's still daylight. (There are few things worse than arriving at the building in the dark after a long drive.....trust me! But I'm carrying light bulbs this time!!)
If only you people lived all along the Oregon coast, so I could come visit you......or better yet, if you were all vactioning (Meg!) out on the Oregon coast.....think how much more fun this would be for me!!!! But instead, you've all decided to live far far away....and do things like skiing (Meg!)
Anyway, I'll do my best to keep you filled in about my itinerary (since I know you are just dying to know)....and I'll be sure to keep you up to date about just how freakin' cold it is in Astoria (hey, I'll be coming from California!!!!) if I decide to go.
Until then, I think my bath is ready! Sleep well everyone.......
comments??? (0 so far...) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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