A New Washer/Dryer

Humm....We purchased a brand new Washer and Dryer, "installation included". The installers show up bright and early (which is good!) and here's a near verbatim break down of our discussion. 

Installer: Oh, so sorry, we can't install the gas dryer-it's against code to install a dryer in the garage.  

Me: Well, ok, I'll take care of it. 

Installer: Oh, so sorry, we also can't install the washer, the on/off values for the hot/cold water are out of code too.

Me: Humm. So when you say installation included, this equates to you delivering them to my garage and I install them, right?

Installer: Correct sir, please sign here that it was an acceptable installation.

Me: But you didn't install anything.

Installer: We've noted the connections, leveling, placement and final verification as exceptions to the installation on the installation sign off page. Please sign here.

On the brighter side, the dryer just finished its initial run and sang a little song for me. While a lesser man than I would rush out and do all the laundry to hear the song again, I'll wait for Grace so that she can share the experience too.

A Mid-Summer Update

It’s been an interesting year so far. The earthquake in Japan brought my travels to a screeching halt. Whereas in a normal year I might spend two months in Japan, thus far this year I’ve spent two weeks in Japan. I’m returning to the hive at the end of August, one of the hottest times of the year. We’ll see how it goes.  Anytime that I can avoid Japan in the summer, I avoid it.

Since I’m not traveling so much, I’ve been trying to work on manufacturing my kitchen cabinets. I’m nearly completed with the assembly itself, and Grace is nearly done with the staining/poly, so next we move onto the demolition of the kitchen itself. I’m on a tight timeline, my travel swings back into gear in a few weeks, so I really need to finish now, or wait several months to complete it. I’m heading to Japan, Central America, the East Coast, West Coast and the Middle East w/in the next three months. I’ve never been to Central America, so I’m looking forward to it quite a bit. We’re meeting up with some friends and have rented a house for a week, and then we’re renting our own place for a week on a small island. Should be fun!