October 23, 2020
Dear Everyone:
It all began last Saturday.
I was minding my own business, literally, when
the toilet made that choking sound that you never want to hear; and
promptly clogged up. This is
in the same bathroom as the shower that I usually use.
In fact, both the toilet and shower empty into the same drain,
which means the shower drain was clogged as well.
Naturally, I hoped that the clog would
magically clear itself, which is what happens most of the time.
But not this time.
By Sunday, it was clear that a professional
plumber was needed. On the
Plus Side: I had found a
great nearby plumbing company some time ago, so I called them and left a
message. They called back
and said they could have someone there “early” Monday morning.
Since my condo sports two full bathrooms, I was good for the time
being.
Sunday afternoon was when I discovered that the
clothes dryer no longer had any heat going in it.
A load of towels were soggy and ice cold after the usual hour of
“drying” time. Bad news.
I usually do the most laundry on Sundays, including the bedding
linens which were sitting in the washer, clean and waiting for their
turn in the dryer.
I tried contacting the appliance repair service
that I had used in the past.
But they were no longer in business.
Instead, I did an Internet search for repair services near me and
got quite a few hits. I more
or less by accident contacted “Sergey” via Yelp and had an appointment
set up for Monday afternoon.
Plus multiple offers coming in from various other services all day.
So by Sunday evening, no dry towels or bedding
and no bathroom except for the one I usually don’t use.
Bummer.
First, the plumbing issue:
“Earl” arrived promptly at 8:30 Monday morning and had the
problem cleared up in about an hour.
Four stars.
On to the dryer…
“Sergey” arrived Monday afternoon, diagnosed
the problem (burned out heater, of course, but he checked fuses and
other possibilities), ordered the new part and scheduled coming back
between 4:00 and 6:00 Wednesday afternoon.
That gave me Tuesday afternoon to run several loads of laundry,
dump them all in a big plastic bag, and run down to the Ducky Wash and
Dry in Dublin. This is the
nearest coin-operated laundry facility; apparently laundromats are not
allowed in posh San Ramon.
“Sergey” actually called me just during lunch
on Wednesday to ask if he could come several hours earlier than
scheduled, which I was delighted to approve.
By Wednesday evening, all was well.
This is the third time that I’ve needed to get
the dryer repaired. Since I
got both the dryer and the washer at the same time, both are over ten
years old. In fact, the
washer is probably just waiting for the most inconvenient time to throw
a tantrum. I am beginning to
think that it’s time to replace them.
And the water heater.
And the range and microwave.
And the refrigerator.
Replacing appliances is one of the Delta Sides
of being a homeowner. But
it’s also one of the Plus Sides.
It means I get to shop for them.
Online, of course, for now.
I just don’t want to postpone it until it’s too late, like having
the fridge, microwave and oven all go “boom!” at the same time.
It doesn’t do to let inanimate objects get the
upper hand.
Love, as always,
Pete
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