stayin' clean...

i have to admit, i've kind of taken my washing machine for granted. it and the dryer came with the house. i was vaguely aware of its presence in the basement, and even done a load or two over the past couple of years, but for the most part, i have not appreciated it as much as i probably should have. it's not that i don't do chores around the house. trust me, my wife would be the first to admit i do my fair share, but she would prefer i stay away from the laundry, which is fine by me. she steers clear of the snoblower and mower. this weekend the washer appears to have died. or at least gone into a coma of some sort. turns out there is some sort of electronical problem which is causing the circuit to trip whenever the agitator is activated. washer stops, water doesn't drain, not good. we are in the process of determining if it makes sense to get an estimate on a house call & repair, or if we should just replace the 20+ yr old washer with a new one. chances are, we'll go with a new one. major appliance shopping is not on my top-ten list of ways i like to spend my free time.