Really?

Let's see, when last we spoke, I was paying $140 more for my dryer than anticipated, while Larry was busy emptying all his crap out of the laundry room into the basement family room (where it joined all the stuff he emptied out of the camper - oh, yes, he did - so that he could replace the canvas top last week). I had just become reconciled to both the chaos AND the extra expense (especially because we got $90 back on our dryer due to its being dented), when the installation company called to "remind" me that I needed an extra $70 to pay for the permit to install a gas appliance.

That's $210 extra for the gas dryer, PLUS the extra $100 the gas model costs in the first place. By my calculations, this dryer will have to last approximately bazillion years for the savings of gas versus electric to pay off. BAZILLION.

Oh, I'm irritated, yes, I am.

In the meantime, Larry continued to rip apart the laundry room, while I got quotes from plumbers on the cost of moving the washer and dryer to the outside wall (it involves pipes and things). These quotes were VERY HIGH. But Larry is determined, because currently the exhaust conduit that connects to the outside vent travels across the entire laundry room and gets clogged with lint every 3 months. And, I suppose, he needs an excuse to start yet another DIY project that involves insulation.

SO, Larry began ripping out some cabinets and shelving that we just paid to have installed a year or so ago (by our rapidly-getting-rich handyman) and discovered water seeping into the front corner of the room. "Okay, that settles it," said Larry, who seems to be getting more irrational by the moment. "I need to dig a trench across the front of the house and seal the foundation."

"Yes, dear," I said, focusing on my knitting. "Whatever you want." Because, really, at this point, what else could I say? Short of burning the house down, there is no other way out of this mess but through.

Yesterday Larry started digging, while I took a leisurely walk with Susie to our neighborhood farmers market. On the way back, Larry called. "So, listen, everything's okay, because Verizon said they can come tomorrow, so we'll only be without Internet for one day."

"No Internet?" I asked, trying to catch up.

"I hit a wire while I was digging," Larry said. "I guess it was the FIOS, because I can't connect to the Internet anymore."

"No Internet?" I said again. People, I had had such a lovely afternoon planned, one that involved yarn and needles and searching for patterns on Ravelry and maybe queueing up a few projects for our camping trip later this summer. It's the 21st century, you know, and knitting requires the Internet.

"Things are going great otherwise, though!" said my obviously manic spouse. "Really making progress here!"

Um, yeah, sure, if your definition of progress is living like it's 1991.  Yes, dear...




[Dollar signs image: Clipart Panda]