We had a good run, you and me

Some time over the weekend, while I was visiting my ailing grandma in the hospital, my dryer lost the will to live.



R.I.P Dryer: 1985-2007

I don't know if my dryer heard that my grandma was not doing well and it just saw no more reason to live. It has been in the family for 22 years, so maybe it felt a certain kinship to my grandma.

Or, if after 22 years of drying the Tyrant Family clothing, it just had no more hot air to give.

Whatever happened, I got home from Oklahoma last night and I needed to crank out three loads of laundry before bed. But when I got to the drying part, the dryer just wouldn't dry. At all.

It made noises like it was drying. And it threw the clothes around . . . as though it was drying. But after about an hour when my clothes were still wet, I determined that it was, in fact, NOT drying.

So, I had to haul all of my wet laundry over to my parents' house and mooch off of their dryer so that I wouldn't have to go to work naked today.

I was so tired. I did not want to leave the house. But, I ran out of places to hang my clothes in the house to air dry. So, the clothes and I took a short trip to the only other free dryer that I knew was available on a Sunday night.

I'll miss my dryer. It has dried my clothes for the better part of it's 22 years in the family. In middle school, I first learned how to do laundry using this dryer.

In highschool, I complained about having to do many loads of laundry using this dryer.

In college, I brought my clothes home from school with me to use this dryer. For free.

And then about five or six years ago, my parents bequeathed the dryer (along with its accompanying washer) to me when they got a new, fancy set to replace the old set.

They were new to me. And I loved them.

A friend of mine picked them up in his truck, then hauled them up three flights of stairs to my apartment at the time. They took a bit of a beating, but they were otherwise fine, never missing a beat in drying my clothes.

Then, when I moved into my house, my dad hauled the washer and dryer back down the three flights of stairs from the old apartment, then into my laundry room where they live today.

I'll miss the buzz. The dryer has a buzz that buzzes out lloud when a load of laundry is finished drying. It's a terrible sound. But it's a sound that has brought comfort for many, many years.

I went to Sears tonight to buy a new dryer. I wonder what sound it will make, and if I will be okay with it. And if I'm not okay with it, I wonder if I will still be able to embrace the new dryer for the next 22 years.

I don't so much like change.

The Old Faithful dryer was a Maytag. It lasted 22 years and through several moves. So, I wanted to buy the exact same thing, only new, to last another 22 years.

I don't need any of those fancy new-fangled dryers that, like, dry, fold, and hang up your clothes for you, while it makes dinner and waters the yard. I just want a basic, long-lasting, affordable dryer that does ONE thing:

DRY CLOTHES

This was my first major appliance purchase. The house came with a refrigerator, and I already had the bequeathed washer and dryer. So until yesterday, I had no need to buy any major appliances. And . . . I wasn't really excited to buy a new dryer today. But, I made my peace with it before I went to Sears.

Since the last one was free for me, I can definitely say that I've gotten my money's worth out of it. So, in order for the universe and my life-shui to balance out, I reasoned with myself that it is only fair and just to have to buy the next one. Even if unexpectedly.

In fact, I already researched the dryer I wanted and I knew where to find it and how much to pay for it. And I think this disappointed the sales lady when I got there.

I walked in and said, "I want that." And I pointed to the Maytag that was on sale.

This seemed to throw her off of her appliance-selling pitch. She asked if I wanted a washer, too. Or if I wanted to look at some other dryers.

I said, "No. I want that."

For her big finale, she showed me where the lint trap was. She pulled it out and everything.

Then she asked if I would need a cord. Um, dryers don't come with electric cords? She said, "No. You have to buy that separate. Dryers don't come with cords anymore."

"Um, yes. I'll need a cord then."

I guess that has changed in the past 22 years in the wide world of dryers. Apparently they used to come with the cord.

I was in and out in 15 minutes, complete with free delivery and free removal and disposal of the old, dead dryer.

And a cord.

Anyone wants to come have a clothes drying party, the new dryer arrives on Saturday.

C.T.