On the Third Day of Christmas, My True Love Called to Me....

"We've got 3 stopped up sinks, 2 sick kids, and a bro-ken washing machine!"

I kid you not, she actually called me to say that. And well, to be precise, it was 6 days before Christmas. When does the 12 days of Christmas start anyway? 12 days before? 12 days starting on Christmas? I suppose I could just google that and find out, huh?

Anyway. 6 days before Christmas and the washing machine gives up the ghost 20 minutes after 3 sinks completely backed up. Oh. Goody. Surprisingly, none of these contraptions spilled a drop of water on the floor, so I suppose that's the silver lining. But let me tell you, on the Friday night before Christmas, the last thing you want to be doing is shopping for new washing machine. Ugh. I mean double ugh. I'm trying to avoid the mall as it is. Appliance shopping during this madness? PLEASE NO.

So Friday night I get on these here interwebs, sign up for a month's subscription to Consumer Reports, and quickly identify a suitable washing machine that won't break the bank. Then I go shopping for it online. Home Depot has it. They can deliver it too. As soon as NEW YEARS EVE. Or, alternatively, I could pick it up in the store in as little as 19 days. Um, who's got that much underwear that they can go 19 days without a washing machine? Not ME, that's who. So I call Lowe's. Not only do they have it, they take my order over the phone quickly and efficiently, with no excessive hold times, they even call me back twice, and each time within 5 minutes. Everyone on the phone is knowledgeable, efficient, and pleasant. And the only reason I'm writing that is because it is so unusual, which of course, it shouldn't be. To top it off they can have it delivered on SUNDAY. The Sunday before Christmas. And I called them at 7 p.m. on Friday night. Isn't that incredible?? So we have a new washer.

On to the plumbing. I call a local guy - big shout out to Dennis at Turbo Plumbing! I'd give him a link, but he doesn't seem to have a web page. Too busy plumbing I guess. I called Dennis at 7 p.m. too, got his answering service. He called me back within 10 minutes and said although he hadn't planned to work on Saturday, he would. And he came at 10:00 the next morning. Now he did show up first at our neighbor's house up the street. Our lesbian neighbors. Those lesbian couples on our street they all look the same. But Amy redirected him, and he came, snaked out the drains, installed a new cleanout, and left. Great guy, Dennis is. If you need a plumber in Castro Valley, he's your guy. (Don't know what it cost yet....he hasn't sent the bill yet.)

Washing machine - check. Stopped up sinks - check.  Sick kids - 2 doses of children's Nyquil - and off to bed with you! Check.  

Time for some spiked eggnog for the mommies!

Happy Christmas!!