Waterlogged...

It has rained here for the better part of a week. Apart from Wednesday and Saturday errands, I've only been out during the short periods in which the rain has stopped, mostly to empty the household garbage or get a breath or two of fresh air.

I have plans to renovate my kitchen and install new flooring as the floors laid down four years ago following water damage caused from the unit above mine are not holding up. I have bubbling, chips and cracks from a super thin laminate that should never be used because it is poorly made.

 The contractor insists that tiling my small entry and hallway will help stem water-related damage from water brought in on my wheels and though I agree, viewing the sea of available options is an exercise in overstimulation and frustration. Because my contractor is a big fan of our local home center, that was my first stop on Saturday and one which left me empty-handed and without help. My next adventure will be a tile store with a design service.

When I moved in here eighteen years ago, my cabinets and appliances were in shambles. The particle board had expanded and swelled, the counters were stained and the refrigerator groaned. I opted to put in the hookup for a stackable laundry unit, taking out the pantry. New white melamine cabinets were installed and a new refrigerator was ordered. My countertops were fabricated in laminate or formica and have stood the test of time. No stains and few if any dings. Only one cabinet is really showing its age, and the stackable I purchased then is now history.

The problem today is not one of simple cosmetics. There are spatial and other concerns. In order to wash dishes, I must sit sideways and pray I don't get water on my floor. The new sink will be a single bowl, less deep and I'll have space for my knees because the lower cabinet will be a thing of the past. My almost never used now upper cabinets will be either donated or given to neighbors and I have no plans to purchase more. The largest cabinet containing pot drawers will give way to a smaller version with two banks of drawers and the doorway to which it is adjacent will be expanded a few inches so that entering and turning in the kitchen will be easier to do.

How does one live with three kitchen cabinets, one of which contains a pull out garbage can? Minimally, of course. This means in practical terms getting rid of what is not essential and paring down all of the paraphernalia that often resides in cabinets and drawers. Fortunately, a large lazy Susan houses my small electrics and other items and I will have an extra drawer in the bottom of the twenty-inch stove. The pots and pans of my childhood all fit in one deep drawer. That is life in a condo-sized kitchen.

Some old photos. Have a good week.

First World Problems...

I've had an interesting week immersing myself in all things appliance online. After a wonderful wedding Saturday evening and a nice visit with a good friend and her father at his retirement home on Sunday, my washing machine died.

I suppose after eighteen years, that is to be anticipated. However, as I was soon to learn, navigating the world of home appliances, especially in today's market in which things are farmed out to low wage workers so that corporations can reap big profits, can be daunting. Fortunately, research is my middle name. While awaiting a repair person who could not come until Thursday, I scoured consumer websites and customer reviews, spoke to sales people, asked questions of manufacturers and then had a chat with a lovely appliance repair person.

My original washer and dryer, produced under the name Maytag, are stacked, and unlike the units one buys today which sit on a pedestal, are not meant to be used unstacked. They are what is called a laundry center and fewer of these are being produced. Maytag now belongs to Whirlpool and is made in Korea. Additionally, my particular unit is no longer made at all, so replacing it wasn't as straight forward as I had hoped.

The American marketplace is rife with rubbish if the problems noted by customers are to be believed, and the smaller size I was hoping to buy would not handle items like blankets, quilts or bedspreads and since it is impractical for me to hot foot it to the nearest laundromat, full size was my only option unless I wanted to do hours of washing.

With this in mind, I looked at some slightly better reviewed European models only to discover that most of those made for apartment dwellers are unvented and come with their own set of problems not to mention bloated price tags.

My repair person who has been doing appliance repair for ten years for a reputable company in this area looked at my machine and said he could fix it but could not guarantee that further problems would not occur due to age. He suggested I venture forth and get a new one, along with an extended warranty, further adding information with which I had become familiar. The lifespan of a washer and dryer is not what it was decades ago. Indeed, the average machine now lasts six to eight years, ten if one is fortunate.

Research led me to Speed Queen, a U.S. company well known for its commercial laundry machines. They produce a stacked unit with the best warranty I could find and reviews from happy customers. With the help of a friend and my builder in tow, I purchased one this morning. This will go into a newly renovated kitchen, which though quite small, presents challenges to me as a wheelchair user which I hope to alleviate once and for all.

Hardly a frugal day but I hope a successful one.