Waiting

Mom used to say "I have four dishwashers: Mary, Denis, Don, and Chip. What do I need another one for?"

"No, Mom!" We'd protest, when she trotted-out this line of logic. "We want an automatic dishwasher!"

"How much more automatic can it be?" she would counter "I say 'Go wash the dishes!' and you go wash the dishes. The dishes are washed just because I say so." We'd grumble, having been defeated by logic once again, and go wash the dishes. Mom, if not the younger members of the Bergquist family, would get along just fine without a machine to wash the dishes. We children would live with a life of torment, drudgery, and prune-fingers.

My tormented childhood was brought to mind recently, and kept in the forefront of my mind by the breakdown of my dishwasher. I had an old whirlpool that was in the unit when I purchased it eight years ago, and guessing from the looks, was probably installed by the builder in 1972.

The problem is that the pump seems to have given-up the ghost. A mug placed upright in the bottom rack is less than a quarter full at the end of a long dishwashing cycle so what I have is more of a built-in, under-the-counter drying rack than a dishwasher. I have had to revert to the old dishwasher. The one my mom acquired in 1962. (…though she had to wait a few years for the installation…)

I've had to wait a bit more than a week. When I had sussed-out that dishwasher was not working, I called a repairman. Asked about repairing it and was told that I could do so but parts and labor would be pretty dear. I could buy a new one for what it would cost to fix the old one. So buy a new one I would!

The one I selected was not in stock so I was told that it would take a couple weeks to get in. It took five days. The installer called Friday and said they could install Tuesday if I could be home.

So here I sit. I'll be working on a writing assignment for the office while I wait, as a matter of fact, it is time that I get working. It will make the wait go by faster!

Wherever you are today, I hope that you have something you're waiting for!

Don Bergquist – March 18, 2008 – Lakewood, Colorado, USA