March 27, 2010: May I Pause for a Moment?

Maybe I should have said "May I pause this blog for a day or two (or three)?" You see, yesterday's microwave explosion was just one of several mishaps this week.

First, Mr. H heard a loud snap in his upper arm, while shoveling compost out of the pickup bed for me. It was painful enough that he went to the emergency clinic for an X-ray, but it turned out to be a pulled muscle. He managed to get "doctor's orders" excusing him from any other household or garden duties for the next couple of weeks. I think he's pushing it, myself.

Yesterday, as if the microwave mess wasn't enough, I was washing a quilt when the washing machine began to make the most horrible, loud noise. I guess it stripped its gears or something, the tub won't spin any more. Since the machine is probably 8-10 years old, repair costs would probably be so much that we might as well buy a new machine. Which I did. Today. It won't be delivered until Thursday.

Good time to paint the laundry room! Off I went to Lowe's, where I bought the new washing machine, then headed for the paint department with color card in hand. In the paint department, two male employees were having fun trying to put black tape on each other. I waited. And waited. Finally, one employee noticed me and asked "Did you want something?" No, I'm just standing at the counter because I have nothing better to do with my time. OK, I didn't actually say it, I just thought it. I informed him I wanted to buy some paint, to which he replied "Oh, we don't sell paint". Yes, I know he was trying to be funny, but I was in no mood for playing by then, so I said "Fine, I'll buy it at Wal-Mart" and I walked off. I stopped at the customer service counter and paid for the new washer, then went across the street to Wal-Mart. Wonder of wonders, there was actually an employee in the paint department! Yes, that is unusual in our Wal-Mart. I can't count how many times I've gone there for paint, but couldn't find anyone to wait on me.

I handed the girl my color card, and asked for a gallon of interior satin. It took her a while to figure out how to run the computer, but she finally got it. She put the can (actually a plastic container of Dutch Boy paint) into the mixer, but it made an awful racket when it started. She stopped it and adjusted it a couple of times, and finally got the mixer going the way it should. However, upon removing the container, we noticed there was wet paint pouring out from under the lid (that she had neglected to tighten), all over the mixer and down the sides of my paint can. Not wanting to waste any more time, I took the 20% discount she offered, and had her put the container in a plastic bag to protect me and everything else from the wet paint.

The laundry room is nearly finished, I'm just writing this while I eat my take-out Chinese dinner. Oh, I forgot to mention....when we moved the washer out, we discovered the faucets had been leaking. Evidently for quite a long time. There was lots of damage to the wall, so my dear, darling, always there when I need him, son John is coming tomorrow. He'll cut out the damaged drywall, replace the faucets, the drain and the thingies where the hoses hook up. Then he'll put in a drywall patch and tape and texture it. It should be good as new by the time the new washer arrives.

I also bought some free-standing cupboards for the laundry room. They have to be put together, but will give me a lot more storage for all that stuff I canned last summer. And I need to give all the other shelves a fresh coat of paint. Can't put ratty looking shelves back in a freshly painted laundry room, can I?

So I'm going to take a day or two away from my blog...and get 'er done! There will be photos, of course.