You Know You've Been Married a Long Time...

...when a "hot date" with your husband is going to the Sears Outlet store to buy a new washing machine.

Our washing machine sprung a leak. This is a disaster of major proportions, especially as DD#2 and I are leaving for camp at the end of this week. The faithful freezer is also dying. But the washer is the immediate priority.

Off we went to the Outlet Store. Since my washer & dryer live in the garage, beauty is not a concern. I had really hoped to get a front loader, since I understand they are more efficient, use less water, and put less stress on your clothes. They are also more expensive. $200.00 more expensive. For the small capacity washer.

So we bought a top loader. One thing my mother taught me was to "keep it simple." The fewer bells and whistles an appliance has, the less than can go wrong with it. And, I've discovered, the cheaper it is to fix. And the more likely it is that it can be fixed on the first visit by the repairman, if he doesn't have to keep swapping out computer chips. So our new washer looks very much like our old washer. Which looked very much like its predecessor.

Frankly, it washes clothes, quietly and efficiently. That's really all I care about.

The Outlet Store did have a couple of washers in designer colors, including a burnt orange. Hubs thought it was ugly. I kind of liked it, in a troll-doll sort of way.

"Why didn't you buy it?" DD#1 asked.

"Because it was over $1000.00," I answered.

"Good reason," she admitted.

They also had a commercial washer, the kind that takes quarters. I thought about that, too, as a sneaky way to inject a "reality check" in the life of my children. But they'd probably figure out how to jimmy open the coin box.

Hubs and DS#1 then moved the old washer out (it now graces the TV room) and set up the new washer.

"It's done. Do you want to do a load?" Hubs asked.

"Sure," I said. I went out to the garage to see him standing there, staring at the machine.

"It's not working," he admitted.

I thought for a moment.

"Did you turn on the water?" I asked.

He reached over, turned on the water. The washer began to fill up. He gave me one of his sheepish grins. I laughed.

So... how did you spend your evening?