I love it when a plan comes together

Today is Tuesday and I normally have a sitter (a WONDERFUL GIFT FROM GOD WHO I WOULD PAY TWICE WHAT I PAY HER FOR WHAT SHE HAS DONE FOR MY SANITY) but we switched to Thursday this week. Sadly, despite my best Maytag Repairman by Internet efforts, I was unable to revive our cheap washing machine. I learned many things yesterday.....(1) always, always, always have a bowl (or something) under the drain when you remove it from the back of the washing machine or you will be running around like a crazy person trying to catch the water before it runs back into the garage (2) always unplug the machine before working on it (water+electricity=DANGER) . . . thankfully I learned that by reading, not experiencing and (3) the only thing worse than manually draining the washing machine cup by cup, bucket by bucket is doing it a second time because you thought you had fixed it and were wrong and had to use up what few towels and sheets you had left to clean up the water after you forgot you had started the machine you thought you fixed back up. SIGH.

Anyway, that was Monday and I was telling you about today. Today, I needed to buy a new washing machine and visit the laundromat so I didn't wear my new machine out by doing 52 loads on the first day. Bo and Sascha and I started our errands at Target to purchase, among many things, TOY STORY 3, because we are big fans of Buzz, Woody, and "Zessie". By the end of our short time in Target, I was considering taking up all manner of vices to cope with our 30 minute shopping extravaganza and I know that almost everyone in the store was glad to see us go. And though most of what I purchased could have waited until Thursday, there was a method to my madness. I needed to work on my Bible Study and entertain 2 young, active, precious goblins while the laundromat worked its super extra large magic on my laundry. Praise the Lord the giant wash (and I mean GIANT) and 2 huge dryers took exactly the same amount of time that it took Buzz and Woody and the gang to go from Andy's room to the daycare to the incinerator back to Andy's room and then to the sweet little girl's house. And who knew, but  today ALL the dryers were free and automatically ran for 35 minutes. Yesterday, I spent a small fortune in change and found myself running back and forth from my car to the dryers as I incrementally increased the drying time in 7 minute segments. Yay for small favors because, much to my dismay, NONE of the washing machines were free at Sears.

Now it is time to make chili and celebrate the first truly cold day of the season. And probably time to let the kids in before they freeze.