The repairman came; the washer is working although I have not given it a real test run yet. I took scads of laundry to the laundromat, because I couldn’t trust my luck. The fellow had to replace the guts of the machine. He asked how long I’d had it. I told him since October. He frowned and said it looked as if it had been used for ten years – all the parts worn out.

But he came. And for that I am grateful. Tired but grateful. And Jeff Piraino, if you had anything to do with it, thank you, thank you, thank you. (You know, the Jeff from the Dooce Maytag Saga.