Appliance problems

My washing machine quit, late last week. Cliff decided it was old enough that he'd rather we bought a new one than to have that one fixed. Trouble is, it was the Fourth of July when my machine shot craps, right in the middle of Cliff's five days off: the five days he originally took off in order to go to Tulsa to the Wing-Ding. Since we canceled on that, he decided to use every minute of his time off doing things he's let go. He mowed areas of the pasture that hadn't been touched this year, which took the better part of two days. Then he started getting the canopy of his Oliver 1855 ready to paint.

Since he pretty much already felt I had ruined his vacation by buying a pregnant cow, he wasn't eager to leave his tractor and go washer shopping.

I told him, "All right; I'll use Rena's until we can go looking for one next week."

But he said something on the order of, "Go get in the truck and let's get this over with,"

He sounded pretty darned disgusted with me.

He seemed to lighten up as we headed toward the city. I told him my next appliance purchase was going to be a gas kitchen range, because I've always hated the one I have; I went for the cheapest model Sears had, and the burners are so slow, it takes forever to boil water.

"Your birthday's coming up," he said. "You only live once; get yourself a stove."

Our original destination was Sears, but first we were going to pick up something his sister needed from Home Depot; it occurred to me that Home Depot has appliances, and I went looking.

I don't buy bells and whistles, and I soon found just the right washing machine. Then I found a stove that was marked down as a one-of-a-kind floor sample. It had one extra-hot burner, and a self-cleaning oven. I've never had that; and the price was right.

No delivery: if you buy it, you take it home.

The item I really needed, though, the washer, wasn't in stock, and wouldn't be delivered until Thursday.

The good part of this, though, is that, unlike Sears, Home Depot's delivery is free. Cliff wouldn't have to remove the old washer or hook up the new one; the delivery guys would do that.

The deal was done. The saleslady called for a couple of boys to help us load it.

I couldn't believe they didn't direct us to a loading dock. Two youths were going to attempt to lift the kitchen stove from ground level up into the bed of our fairly-tall four-wheel-drive pickup.

They strained, but try as they might, one boy couldn't come close to getting his side of the stove that high. On each try, he got weaker, and less likely to ever get the thing loaded. Cliff was trying to step in and help, but the cart they'd brought the stove out on was in his way.

Finally, frustrated at the possibility that our new stove might end up being dropped and destroyed, Cliff managed to move the cart out of his way and stepped up to the weaker boy's side, grabbed his side of the stove, and hefted it up handily.

I wonder if the kid was embarrassed that an old man could out-muscle him. These were big, healthy-looking guys, too.

So, the stove is here; the washer will arrive Thursday. Meanwhile, I'll use my sister-in-law's washer.

Happy birthday to me.

On a side note, check out the poll for the calf's name. "Sir Loin" is about to overtake "Clyde". And there are three more days left to vote.