Happy Birthday to Me and the Jet Engine

   

Aren't they so preeetty
  

     I am not a "gifty" kind of person.  I do not enjoy the anticipation of gift-opening like others do.  I don't get excited with the wonderment of what could possibly be wrapped up in that package.  I know, I'm kind of a Scrooge, but that's just how I am.  I do, however, enjoy indulging others delight with gift-giving.  I, myself,  prefer memories, or sweet gestures, or something practical that I was really needing.  If I really "want" anything, I will just go out and buy it.  I can do that, I'm a working girl now.  :D  Show me love on my birthday and that is the very best gift of all.  Except this one...

   Last summer in July I was trying to get ready for a big Mortenson Family Reunion.  My parents were celebrating their 50th anniversary and everyone was coming!  Each of the WA families were hosting a UT family...and then some.  I spent the previous weeks trying to ready the house for double the normal occupants.  Less than one week before the Peter & Katrena Mortenson Family were to arrive my washing machine suddenly stops working.

I hated this machine right from the start.  It didn't match the dryer (non-matchy appliance pairs drive me crazy, I don't know why) and worse it dinged at me every 30 seconds while trying to load it up.  You know, sometimes you forgot something and have to run through the house to retrieve or find it, or you are emptying frogs, dimes, and candy wrappers out of pockets.  It did not like to have it's lid open.  I REALLY HATED THIS MACHINE!  

We noticed that the load was still sopping wet in the barrel, and I couldn't turn the machine back on, even after restarting it and unplugging it.  So we went out that evening and purchased a new one.  It wouldn't be delivered until the day before everyone was to arrive.  GREAT!!!

     The next day while reading on the sofa a little inspiration went through my head.  It said, "Why don't you go change the setting on the machine and turn it back on."  What?  But I went and turned the setting from hot to warm, and the cycle from heavy to normal, pushed start and voila!!!  The machine turned on.  It drained to sopping clothes inside and washed load after load.  We canceled the order and kept the machine.  This was risky but we were getting ready to send a missionary out.  Expensive business!  We were goin' on faith.

     A couple of weeks later, when the machine went through it's spin cycle, we heard a very loud noise.  It started out loud and got louder and louder.  It was so loud that you couldn't talk anywhere near the laundry room.  One afternoon Ryan was in the laundry room asking me about something when the jet engine goes off.  That is truly what it sounded like.  I was like being on the tarmac of a runway.  We were literally yelling to communicate.  Yes, it was that loud!  It went like this for a couple of months.  When October came, the machine we had previously purchased back in July went on sale.  And Dave was becoming very nervous that the Jet Engine, as we began to call it, was going to quit on us any day.  Now, I have to tell you, before all of this trouble back in July Dave promised me that the next time we had to buy a new washer or dryer he would buy me a matching set.  So off the to store we go.  During our short walk to the appliance isle I quietly remind Dave of his promise to me.  I'm not the kind of person who takes kindly to broken or postponed promises.  If you can't keep it, then DON'T MAKE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!  He tells me he wasn't intending on buying a matching set this time, so I quietly and quickly turn on my heel and head back to the car.  I can wait.  So we did.

     It is a good thing I walked away, because later Dave was reading reviews on the particular machine we were going to get and had already previously purchased and returned.  They were horrible reviews.  Nobody liked that model.  Go ahead and say it, "I was so smart to throw that tantrum."  Oh come on now, don't tell me you've never thrown one.

     I bided my time, we sent our adorable Elder Weller out, and Black Friday ads were coming in the mail.  I had just had my surgery and was not entirely mobile, but there was a store that had another model that we have our eye on.  And Dave is going to get me the SET!!!  I shuffle into the store and there is a wheel chair waiting just for me.  Thank goodness, just getting to the doors was exhausting.  We check out the set and I am in love.

     We buy the set and they will be delivered the day after my birthday.  But wait, it has a big scratch on the front.  Nuh, uh!  I'm not keeping it.  The store agrees to bring another one and they are now both in and they are gorgeous and they are whisper quiet.  They are digital and even tell how long each load will take to wash and dry (I'm easily amused).  Hallelujia, no more standing by the machine waiting for it to stop.  Happy Birthday To Me!!!!!!!!

     I do have to say that every time the machines do anything they sing to me.  I'm not kidding.  There is a jingly kind of song it goes through for turning on the power, for starting it, and when it is done.  I think it is creepy but the boys love it.  So for now, my new birthday machines sing to me.  Too bad it's not the birthday song:

Happy birthday to you, 

A wash and dryer in two,

No more planes in your laundry room

Here's a laundry maid too...

Oh wait, that's me!