The Grass is Always Greener After Winter

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You’ve heard that expression, haven’t you? “The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.” (If you grew up with Erma Bombeck, you know her book The Grass Is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank. ) That’s what I had this week, and it turned out to be a pretty darn miserable week. Well, not really, because I was truly blessed. But I did learn my lesson. I’ve mentioned that I have one of those small “portable” washing machines (small enough to fit in my bathtub). There’s nothing really wrong with it. However, for some reason (that “the grass is always greener” syndrome), I thought I’d like to have a “real” washing machine. So I went to Lowe’s and got a super nice LG 4.1 cubic foot machine. Monday I was home all day because they delivered it and the plumber came by to hook up an old line that had (past tense) a washer hookup attached to it but that I had removed with a plumbing job a few decades ago. Everything was hunky dory. (Not the David Bowie album. ) Then the rinse cycle started on the “test run” (that first time you run a washer to clean the tub and the lines out before you put clothes in it). Down the water went into the drain pipe…then back up it came. A few gallons of wiped-up water later, I figured the pipe was clogged (even though the plumber ran a snake through it). I remember what one of the job estimates I got said, and…well, for that kind of money I can do laundry in a laundromat for the rest of my life, or take a nice luxurious train ride to Seattle then down the Pacific coast. OR make a great down payment on a new car. No, out of my price range. Soooo…I called Lowe’s and explained that the brand spanking new machine wasn’t cut out for plumbing in a 75-year-old house. (To my pleasant surprise, the lady said that wasn’t the first time she’d heard that! ) To my even greater surprise, they took the washer back. NO restocking fee. NO pick-up fee. All of the money I spent on the washer, including the delivery, was refunded. Wow. Thank God! It’s Friday evening now, and I’m lounging after a nice soaking bath and a cup of peppermint hot chocolate (my Friday night treat in winter). Everything’s “back to normal.” A few years ago, when I mentioned the little washer, NJ Chic asked why I didn’t have a “real” washer. Well, now I know why. Meanwhile, as winter fades, the grass really IS greener. (Photo is the grass out front, celebrating spring.) Joe Walsh’s “All-Night Landry Mat Blues” for your dancing pleasure (and a laugh):