Day 4554

Yay. We have a new dishwasher. I don't know how to use it yet, but I'll worry about that later. I'm glad I had a good plumber install this thing. Nothing is as easy as it seems and there were some complications on the installation that the Home Depot delivery crew would have probably just given up on. I wish modern electronics weren't so complicated. Old major appliances were simple and lasted forever. Everything nowadays basically has a computer inside and tends to break quickly. Our old dishwasher had a single round dial on the front. This new one looks like the control panel on the space shuttle. 

The big difference on this new machine is that there is no heater coil at the bottom of the tub to dry the dishes. This new dishwasher uses super hot water on the final rinse and then somehow vents away the moisture inside. It sounds like the dishes just air dry to me, but what do I know. I need to get some of that rinse-aid liquid that prevents streaks on glasses tomorrow. The instructions say that you need to use this stuff to ensure effective drying. Why so complicated? I would have much rather had the old fashioned electric heating coil on the bottom of the tub. Oh, well. It is what is is. Maybe I made the wrong choice but I really didn't have many options. Most dishwashers are 24" wide. The space available in my cabinet was slightly smaller than this. The LG model I bought was 23.75" wide and barely fit. The reviews on this machine were very good, although some people were frustrated about the strange drying system. I may be one of those people.

It turned out to be a very busy day. While the plumbers were here I had them fix a few other things around the house as well. There was an outdoor faucet in the back yard that had been leaking for years and a rubber cap on a drain access line that leaked even worse. Too bad they couldn't fix my strange French toilet. Parts just aren't available for that thing anymore. The plumbers were on time and everything went relatively smoothly, so we were still able to visit the rescue Dalmatians this afternoon. This whole dishwasher episode ended up costing more than I expected, but what else is new. Everything costs more than you expect these days.

The Dalmatians are all doing well. We didn't play with Rocket today because he is still recovering from his heartworm treatment. Charlie, Willie, Oliver, and JoJo were all in fine form though. I don't know why JoJo still wanted to go outside on a day like this. It was way too hot, but JoJo insists on playing outside. The other dogs were smart enough to stay in the air conditioned indoor play area. 

By the time we returned from the kennel it was way too hot to even consider walking in the park. It even seemed too hot early this morning when we were taking Dawn on her sunrise walk. I went to the gym instead. I was surprised at how many people were at the gym this afternoon. It was probably the weather. Something was wrong with the air conditioning system on the main floor today, but it was still much cooler than it was outside. I didn't stay long today. I just shot some hoops on the basketball court, walked a mile or so on the indoor track, and used the rowing and the abdominal crunch machines. Maybe I'll go back tomorrow, but I hope it is cool enough in the morning so I can walk in the park instead.

They say it's going to be a very hot summer. It certainly looks like we are headed in that direction. I just hope we don't have blackouts or major power outages this summer. With everything else that is going wrong in the world, a lack of electricity might just be enough to push me over the edge. 

Marcie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day