saturday, almost sunday

[ksmith]

Restless. Visited Mom twice today. In between, I mowed the front yard--did the back last night, fireflies lighting the way--did laundry, and straightened up a little. Found a sofa slipcover at Target.com, which is available at one of the nearby stores. Will buy it tomorrow. Need to clean floors and dust and rearrange and store things.

Over the last day or so, I've been having issues with my AT&T DSL. I'd connect, only to have it kick me off after a few minutes. I have had issues off and on for the two years I've had the service, but this was particularly annoying since I need a stable connection so I can work from home.

I called DSL Tech Support. It turns out that my DSL line is "technically not feasible". I am 1975 feet from the nearest station, or whatever the service point is called, and the maximum for reliable service is 1800 feet. The tech said that I should never have been signed up for the service. He slowed down my connection to steady it, and it's helped, but I will still have issues.

I've just signed up for Comcast. I'll be canceling AT&T as soon as the cable is installed. Of course, the DSL connection has been stable as a rock since I did this. Just like your hair looking its best just before you get it cut.

Also today--almost broke the washer with a too-heavy blanket, and found a mysterious pool of water on the living room floor. I'm hoping the washer tantrum is temporary--it's a temperamental beast that really can't handle anything heavy...even though it is technically a "heavy duty" washer. I pulled out the blanket, added light sheets and a shirt to the soapy water, and coaxed the washer through the balance of the cycle.

Can anyone suggest a good brand of washer? Mine is an Amana, and well, never again.

I'm hoping the water on the floor is puppy hork and not a leaky roof. The last storm was over a week ago, and I was sitting in the living room at the time--if there were leaks, you'd think I'd have noticed.

Comments

Re: washers --

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

I have had good luck and long service with Whirlpool and Maytag. Get at least one up from the bottom version -- the one with the soak and double rinse capacity is great. W has a top of the line Kenmore, and overall it's nice, but it did have an electric part go out in the first four years.

Sorry everything is in knots up there. Hope being able to write is a help.

Re: washers --

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

Actually, I haven't written much of anything. I'm awaiting the page proofs resolution, and am thinking about the GIDEON proposal. Just haven't had the headspace to sit and put down words.

[dancinghorse.livejournal.com]

I wash horse blankets all the time in my GE, and it's only started to object in the past year or two. I've had it since 1994.

I'd say it's pretty tough, considering what I put through on a regular basis.

[torrilin.livejournal.com]

Maytag washers are workhorses. The cheap ones aren't worth it tho. If you pay up front for the best energy efficiency you can manage, they work out well. My mom had an Amana at one point. The delicate cycle just plain *died*, and so did the heavy cycle. Took about 5 years for that to happen, maybe less. That was... inconvenient. The Maytags she's had would soldier on for a lot longer.

[ferragus.livejournal.com]

I was going to recommend GE, since that's what I've got here, but I checked consumer reports first.

Turns out that the model makes a huge difference, two GE's are the only ones that are on the "Not Recommended" list (WCVH6600H[WW] and WBVH5100H[WW])

Of the rest, there are models highly rated (from say Kenmore or Whirlpool) and there are other models from the same brand that are poorly rated.

I've gotta suggest heading over to consumerreports.org and signing up for a year (if you're not already a member). The online only membership is pretty cheap, and of course the washing machine report is one of the subscription only ones (some reports are free).

Good luck!

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I hope I don't have to buy one for a while yet, but just in case.

I do have a sub to consumerreports.com, but I admit to some skepticism regarding their ratings. When I was looking for a small SUV, I checked them out--they rated the Toyota RAV4 higher than the Subaru Forester even though the RAV4 at the time lacked a rear bumper, which can mean higher costs of repair if you're rear-ended. And they got on my nerve when they discussed the differences between the option for the Forester L and S models. The S had more options as standard, but CR said to go with the lower-priced, less-equipped L because, and I paraphrase, "no one needs those extra options anyway."

Don't tell me what I need, or should want.

I read the vacuum cleaner ratings a couple months ago, and saw that the Dyson, which all my friends swear by, didn't do well in their testing. Given that I sprang for the Animal today, I guess you could say that I take CR with a grain of salt.

Re: washers --

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

Sending peaceful thoughts....

[chris-gerrib.livejournal.com]

Washing machines - I've had good luck with Kenmores. They're actually made for Sears by Whirlpool, but you're not paying the additional spiff for Whirlpool's marketing.

Water on the floor - Do you have a sloping or a flat roof? Flat roofs (I have one - never again) will develop puddles and eventually the puddle may drain. If the water is clear, it's probably not from the roof. It may be from condensation in your AC vents.

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

we had a pretty hard rain today, and no leaks were seen. the water wasn't in the right spot for A/C, although if it gets humid enough, water does condense on the wood beam at the peak of the ceiling and spatter down.

I am inclining toward puppy hork as the explanation.