I do love old-fashioned living. However, certain types of technology and modern gadgets do make my life much, much easier. At least, when they are working. See, that’s the problem with having great “labor-saving” doo-dads in your house. Those great gadgets have to be maintained and repaired when they tear up.
I found out how much I love one of these contraptions a couple of weeks ago when my dishwasher died. We’ve lived in this house for 12 years and bought new appliances when we moved in, so I suppose it’s time for stuff to start breaking.
The dishwasher broke, but our lives were so busy and complicated at that point that we couldn’t go right away and get a new one. OK.
Fine.
I sucked it up and did what had to be done.
I told the kids to go wash the dishes.
About three days later, I decided that it just wasn’t working. The kids used way too much water and soaked the floor while washing dishes. So they stepped up and took over some of my regular chores so that I could wash dishes.
Not fun, but we’re farmers, right? I can handle it.
After three weeks of washing dishes by hand, I noticed that a puddle was growing under the dishwasher.
When the Man of the House pulled the washer out, we found that the hot water connection to the sink runs through the dishwasher, and it was leaking.
We had to turn off the hot water to the kitchen sink. The Man pulled out the dishwasher altogether because, at this point, the washer was full of gross water, and it was beginning to smell bad.
I didn’t realize one night until I pulled the plug from the sink that the drain from the right-hand sink also ran through the dishwasher drain.
Dirty dishwater all over the floor.
Nice.
So now, I am dealing with a kitchen sink with no hot water and only the sink on the left can be drained.
The Man of the House bought a new dishwasher, but the connection from the dishwasher wasn’t designed to join with our copper plumbing. So the brand new dishwasher waited in the middle of my kitchen until we could get the right part. Along with the dishwasher in the floor, I also had my kitchen counters covered in assorted parts and tools to get the job done.
It was at this point that all the farmhands showed up to work at our house for the day. I was responsible for cooking for them and washing up dishes with hot water I got out of the bathtub faucet.
Thankfully, they were so hungry, that they really didn’t care that they had to dodge a dishwasher to fill their plates. Nor did they care that the plastic forks and paper plates were mixed in with pliers, screwdrivers, and other weird tools that I don’t even know the names of. All they cared about was that the food was hot and tasty.
Monday morning, my wonderful husband ran by the hardware store before work. He came back, installed the part that we needed, and got the dishwasher running all before he started his day.
I love that man.
I love having a dishwasher.
I love having hot water in my sink.
I love being able to pull the plug and having the dirty water magically disappear.
So many things I take for granted, but they sure do make my life easier.
At night, I usually start the dishwasher before going to bed. I switch a load of laundry from the washer to the dryer and start it. I pile in more dirty clothes and wash another load. As I lay in my bed, I can hear the dryer running, the washer churning, and the dishwasher swishing hot soapy water all over my dishes.
Life is good.
