A Tale of Two Appliances

This is a bit off the topic of knitting and crafting, but I wanted to share it with you all. There'll be knitting at the end.

A couple weeks ago, the washer part of my combined washer-dryer machine died. Judging by the horrid smell of burning metal, it was the motor. Long story short, I had to replace both. I was pretty irked, but I got a set that was marked down $200 on each machine for "Black Friday."

I'll spare you the horrible details of getting it hooked up, because the state of MD insists only licensed plumbers uninstall and install gas units, and it costs $300 ($120 to "pull a license." I have never hated politicians as much as I do now. Thankfully, I have a neighbor who knows how to do these things.)

Then, long story short, the hot water heater died and had to be replaced.

This was Tuesday. It was raining, about 30 degrees, really miserable. I had to turn off the furnace while the guy was working in the utility room ... the water was off ... I was cold, cranky, hungry, wanted coffee, and had to pee. And I was feeling sorry for myself because I had to spend so much money all at once.

There's a knock on the door. It's a woman I know by sight, who lives nearby. She wants the washer-dryer unit out front; I tell her it's broken, she says she wants it for scrap. She is going all over the neighborhood looking for discarded scrap metal (gutters, appliances, etc) to recycle for cash. Because there's a leak in a pipe in her bathroom, and she is trying to raise $240 to get it fixed. She cares for her three grandchildren, and she is worried they'll have to postpone Christmas because they really have to get this leak fixed, it has damaged part of the house already, and they have to fix that before anything else. Before buying Christmas presents. Despite this, she was much more cheerful and upbeat than I was. She said the Lord was leading her and taking care of her needs. Her faith was pretty strong.

Needless to say, it put my problems in perspective. She left with the washer-dryer and the old hot water heater, and I hope that was enough to get her to her goal. 

Okay, on to the knitting!

Kilt stockings ... I've many times mentioned my problems with heels wearing through, so I'm going to have to come up with something inventive to keep that from happening with these.

Cascade Yarn striped stocking cap. I'm mostly working on the stockings, so this doesn't get much action.

In the midst of the appliance drama, Molly Cat had a dental procedure and had several teeth pulled. I guess they couldn't get a good vein on one leg, and had to try both. Doesn't she look ridiculous? I hope her little legs aren't cold. She's been very playful and affectionate since the surgery, so I guess she had been pretty uncomfortable before.

Happy post-Thanksgiving weekend, everyone!