in this household right now. The washing machine decided to play games this morning. It does this sometimes. It is an intermittent problem and, of course, when the technician looked at it he declared there was nothing wrong.
I am now in the process of re-washing the clothes and hoping to get rid of the soapy scum which did not drain properly the first time. This annoys me. I hate wasting water.
Our water bill is higher than we would like. We use rain water from the tanks where we can but we do not have it connected to the house. Connecting it would only save a very little because the sewerage supply is the major part of the bill and the cost of connecting it would be far greater than we would save.
We live on the usual size Australian suburban block of land. Our water consumption is about that of two people on a much smaller block of land. We are doing something right but mornings like this do not help. They also waste time.
I remember my mother having to fill a copper, light a wood chip fire underneath it and then wash the clothes by hand. When we did get a 32volt household generator my father bought a "spin-dryer". My mother thought this was marvellous. I did too because it had usually been my job to stand there turning the handle of the old wringer. Both my mother and I would be drenching wet with perspiration in summer. The temperature might be over the old century mark outside but the only way to heat the water was in the copper. The spin-dryer did not prevent the need for that but it was much faster at wringing the water from the clothes.
Now though I expect the machine to do it all. It is designed to do it all. You put the clothes and the washing powder in. At the end of it you are supposed to be able to take clean clothes out.
I know I am spoilt by this. I am spoilt by being able to flick a switch and get something called electricity, something I cannot see or hear.
I have bread baking in a bread machine and I used a microwave oven to heat the milk at breakfast time. Right now this computer is working using electricity too. I have an expectation that all these things will work and go on working. I have no right to that expectation.
But, I am still frustrated when they do not work as they should.
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2 comments:
Wouldn't say you are spoilt - just our expectations have changed. My mother, too, stood over a washing machine when she would far rather be reading books. If I'd had to manage the sheer housework-effort that she had to cope with, I wouldn't have done half the things that have made me happy!
No, not spoilt Cat - those devices are supposed to be labour saving and you labour enough as it is. Ros
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