Broken Household Items...

Sigh...I'm still reading the same two books....no change there; just the page numbers:)

Remember yesterday's quiz? I told you there were no right or wrong answers...

Several years ago, our microwave quit working. Fortunately, my parents were due to visit the next day, and volunteered to bring the small one I had in college with them, until we could afford a new one. Hubby took the old one apart, to see if he could figure out what was wrong. Turned out a fuse had blown. Cost to replace? $1. And the cool thing about it? A week later a friend had the same thing happen to her microwave, and thanks to our info, her hubby came home to find her fixing it!

I'm a dryer gal. I like soft clothes, but I do respect hubby's wishes every summer and hang them on the line. But I absolutely hate stiff jeans, so I soften them up afterwards in a 10-minute 'fluff'. But one day, I opened up my dryer to find the clothes still in the same heap. Further investigation showed the drum not turning. Hubby tore the thing apart and called the appliance store, which fortunately had one in stock. Before he came home from work, however, I had made a trip to the laundromat with all the wet clothing! Cost:$10. Cost of new dryer? $600.

And finally, the storm door issue. The other night, all was peaceful in the Daniels' home. Oldest son and hubby watching TV, daughter in the shower, toddler playing with his favorite dump truck and Spiderman action figure. I was reading in the bedroom. Suddenly, a large BAM! echoed. I jumped up at the same time hubby yelled our daughter's name, thinking maybe she had fallen down the steps. She yells back she's fine; it came from outside. Hubby yanks open the back door...the storm door nearly falls forward. The only thing holding it to the house was the safety chain and the closer cylander. Apparently, when I had put the dog outside, the door hadn't latched completely, and the wind ripped it right off the house. Hubby brought it inside and the next day, went to find replacement hinges and pins. Ended up coming home and looking the company up online. The new hinges/pins are on their way, at no cost to us. But the hardware stores in town wanted us to buy a new door.

I guess I'm lucky to have such a handy man around. The door is practically brand new; we've been here a year, and hubby remembers buying it from Lowes for his mother in the last 5 years. But the attitude of workers at Lowes, and other places hubby went for parts was like, "so throw it out and get a new one!" Cost of new door: $120. Parts to fix it? Not worth the cost of processing a credit card.

I can understand tossing some appliances, like the can opener, toaster, coffee makers, or even my iced tea maker, because they are all under $30. But the larger ones...if they can be fixed, I'll do it. And part of it is sentimental...the microwave was my birthday gift the year I graduated college, and the dryer was my grandma's. And the door...well, it wasn't even 10 years old yet. But if the hinge parts couldn't have been replaced, then yeah, we would be at Lowes, buying a new door.

Because my basement stairs are considerably colder now, without that extra barrier. Who would have thought?

On to better news: I have been a busy little bee this morning. After playing phone tag with the manager of the college bookstore, I went over in person and trapped him behind his desk with my charming self until he agreed to set up my signing on April 5th.

I also phoned Indiana State, Indiana University, Ball State, and Purdue's bookstores. ISU will be calling back any time now; IU didn't seem interested...my connection was lost ala AJ (hahaha...see her blog entry yesterday? Wed? One of them, anyway...); Ball state and Purdue are interested and will call me on Monday. Tried to convey my enthusiasm to hubby...he just sighed and said, "That's your problem." Sigh...I get so much support from him...

Tomorrow, we start Operation Merit Badge. My Life Scout is trying to earn an Eagle-required merit badge, and had to hold a family meeting, discuss six items ranging from substance abuse to chore distribution, and do a family project. So, tomorrow is an early 'Spring Cleaning'. My jobs will be to wash curtains and help wash the woodwork; the kids will dust, wash the woodwork, and vaccuum; Hubby will wash windows. Lucky's job will be to demand attention if anyone sits down for a moment!

Kelly's starting a serial story every Friday http://www.kkirch.blogspot.com/ Stop by and tell her she's got only 6 days left until her 1st book is released; Anny's thanking all of us who post her blog, for she's listed under some strange Google entries http://www.annycook.blogspot.com/ and go congratulate Dakota on being a published author for nearly 4 days. She's holding a contest (which I sort of entered...I think...) and several prizes has her author info on it. I want a pen and some sticky notes if I win...and lastly, if you want some great PROMOTIONAL ideas, drop by Ashley's site and learn how to market your book http://www.ashleyladd.blogspot.com/ (it was yesterday's entry...very helpful!)