My father once accidentally broke a key off our family computer’s keyboard. This happened around December. The following April, while trimming the lawn, I found the scattered remains of a keyboard all across the backyard. There was also an old Toshiba laptop, which, having reached the end of its much abused life, found a similar fate awaiting itself. So it is in the family. Something breaks, it’s gone. Although I myself have had a few victories, notably with computers, my skill for fixing things these days seems to rank just a hair above my fathers.

So I got this washing machine for free. It belonged to a teacher who no longer needed it, and kindly, she let me have it. It was never a glorious machine, indeed it was quite old. But, being of German make, it still worked well enough, if loudly. Last week during the usual tumbling, I heard a new noise. It was going “tumble, scratch, splash,” normal, when followed, “bang, twaaang.” When a washing machine goes, “bang, twaang,” it’s not good. But the cycle managed to finish. Today I dump a fresh load in, and after filling up, again, “bang, twaang,” only this time following the frightening racket, the drum stops spinning and instead I can hear that sound of a motor trying to move but making no process – you know, that strained buzzing.

Perhaps I overloaded the machine and nothing is really wrong, I think. So, removing half the load I fire it back up only to get one cycle followed by that buzzing. I take all the clothes out and start it up, but no progress is to be had. At this point I become convinced that something has gotten stuck somewhere in the works… a stray sock perhaps. Not having much to do and feeling adventurous, I decide that I’ll fix it.

Three hours later:

Tomorrow I’ll be going shopping for a second-hand washing machine. I think I’ll stick to teaching…