A Mistake--Corrected

When we first moved in to our Gold Canyon house, we decided the washer and dryer should be located in the small shop we had added to the building.  That allowed us to use the closet in the house which was designed and plumbed for the washer and dryer to be used to store other things.

Mistake!

We didn't think about how much dust we would produce.  If you look closely at the lower right corner of the photo below, you can see our wood lathe.  That really makes a mess.  That meant that any clothing we happened to drop on the floor--or even wipe across the size of the washer--picked up dust.

In January we got rid of the old Frigidaire washer and dryer and replaced it with these stackable GE appliances.  When the units were delivered, they went to install them in the designated closet but saw there was no  dryer vent installed, they said all they could do was install them back in the same place in the shop.  That was not what we wanted.

We found a handyman to do the work for us. Michael came and gave us an estimate for the work. We said, "go ahead and do it." Then we had to postpone our appointment so we could return to Colorado for Kendal's funeral. Next, Michael caught the flu. Finally he came, put in the duct work, and moved the washer and dryer. This tool cabinet takes the place where the washer has been. The belt sander sitting on it's top is another reason the shop is so dirty.

And here is our newly installed washer and dryer.  They both operate very quietly, but now I can watch and see when a load is done without having to go back out to the shop several times to check.  And the floor in front of the appliances is a lot cleaner than in the shop.  Yea!  We corrected our mistake.

Gettin' Things Fixed

Last fall, we purchased a stacking washer-dryer from Lowe's for our winter home. The washer has always worked fine, but the dryer wasn't right. I could get the clothes dry if I used a timed setting--60 or 90 minutes. But none of the automatic settings worked right, leaving the clothes very damp. Several people said I should get it fixed.

Finally, I called Lowe's and requested service on the dryer. I was told they would schedule a repair person and get back to me. A couple of days later, I received a call saying Frigidaire had decided to replace the unit, rather than trying to repair it. What? That's unusual. However, it was fine with me. I imagine my problem wasn't at all unusual and they knew it couldn't be repaired. It took about 3 weeks, but here is my new washer-dryer. It is identical to the original one.

Soon, we will begin our summer travels. After looking at the truck tires, we decided it would be a good idea to get some new ones. They had 40,000 miles on them and the front tires, at least, looked worn. When John took it in to Big O tires, they made a disconcerting discovery. While removing one of the front tires, one of the bolts broke. And they found another broken bolt inside the hub cap! Can you imagine how dangerous that could be? The front wheel could have come off while we towed the trailer in the coming months!

Here are the two broken bolts:

And here are our new tires:

The tire company also suggested we have new shocks installed. That will happen in a couple of days. Since we tow and live in a 5th wheel trailer weighing 19,000 pounds during the summer, we want the truck to be in excellent condition at all times. It's better to be safe than sorry.

An Exciting Time

Look what was delivered today!

What is it?

The fellows from Lowe's moved it into our workshop. Can you tell yet what it is?

Yea, it is a washer-dryer combination.

We have even done two loads of wash today. For nearly 7 years, we have done the laundry exclusively in laundromats. I haven't minded. That way, I can get everything for the week washed and dried in about 2 hours. But where we are now, once the park is full in February and March, the laundry room isn't large enough to accommodate everyone. We had to work around others, make sure we were there by 7 or 7:30 in the morning or wait till afternoon. You could never be a little late to move clothes from the washer to the dryer or to fold the dry loads. Someone was always waiting to use the machine.

So it is great to have our own equipment and be able to wash whenever we want. I am amazed at how large the wash tub and dryer drum are. I was afraid they would be as small as a stackable apartment size washer and dryer we had in one condominium we rented. This is going to be a good deal.

And notice the water softener next to the washer? That was delivered this week, as well. No more mineral-filled, bad-tasting water. The water in Arizona is really awful.