Each time I even think about writing a new blog post, a voice in my head says, “You’ve really got to blog about something other than photography. You may be obsessed, but you’re going to bore them to tears. For the love of all things holy, is there nothing else in your head except photo apps and web galleries and f-stops?”
*crickets*
Okay, so that’s not entirely true. There’s this really wicked cool thing happening next weekend — but I can’t talk to you about that yet. And there’s all sorts of another kind of crazy with my work, but I can never really blog about that. And — that’s about it. That’s all my brain has room for these days.
No wait, there is one other thing: we’re getting a new dishwasher today! That’s kind of exciting, in a mundanely domestic sort of way. You may remember that when we took possession of the house, the very first time we tried to use the dishwasher it stuttered to a stop about three minutes in to the first cycle. $150 and three days later, we had a switch replaced, but the thing has been dying a slow death ever since. It doesn’t clean very well, the door gets stuck on the countertop when you close it, and it sounds like a jumbo jet is taking off every time we run the damn thing.
So, a new dishwasher. We comparison-shopped for a while, waffling over name brands and features like a stainless steel interior (apparently not worth the money, even though it helps speed the drying when you refuse to use heat dry like I do) and water use (a huge issue with an aging septic system) and noise (an even bigger issue.) Everybody we spoke to recommended Bosch, but their tubs are smaller than industry standard and with a busy family of five, size matters.
We got a good deal on this one from GE and it seems to get above-average reviews. (Side note: I spent hours one Saturday trying to cross-reference model numbers from Corbeil and Sears to the last two Consumer Reports Buying Guides, and ended up with nothing but crossed eyes for my efforts. Once again, living in the shadow of the US adds a layer of complexity to life!)
The model we choise was on sale at both Sears and Corbeil but Corbeil has free delivery, so I went in and asked them to match the price. They started to argue that their price matching includes the delivery free so really was a better deal, but when I shrugged and said, “Well, if you want to lose the sale over $25, okay, I’ll go next door to Sears” they dropped the price to match. I’m getting good at this haggling thing!!
So we can now add to the ever-growing list of household investments and upgrades a new dishwasher. Let’s hope we can cross this one off the list of things to worry about for another five to ten years!
Wow! I actually know what it’s like to dishwasher shop because I just helped my parents recently and I agree finding reliable reviews based on Canadian information is difficult. They are going with a Kenmore and again hoping it will be much quieter than the one they currently have. Enjoy!
Congrats on the purchase of a new dishwasher. I’m sure you will find your updated model both quieter and more energy efficient. Most of the built-ins today are made to accommodate the fact that a lot of homes have an open concept and extra insulation is added to keep the noise levels down. We purchased a new dish-washer for our new home 2 years ago and are delighted with it. You seriously cannot tell it is running.
Looking forward to your posts when you can reveal all those *things you can’t talk about yet*. Until then, I’m enjoying what you do *talk about* and what you do photograph.
I dislike that “dishwasher smell” so much that we’ve opted not to have one at all! Maybe a stainless interior would help. I toy with the idea of getting one someday, especially at canning time!
hail to the champ!! LOL ….a girl has to do what a girl has to do,
I bought a new dishwasher about 2 years ago and it is really quiet which was my top priority. I loved my daughter’s dishwasher a lot but was too frugal to splurge. I went with Kenmore and am very happy…no stainless steel for me.
I HATE comparison shopping and checking reviews and things (gosh I’m lazy) so when we replace ours (which will have to be soon I think) I am so coming to you to find out how this one went over 🙂
Question is…how do you find someone to INSTALL the new dishwasher!?
Mary, it was crazy-difficult getting someone to do the installation! I called two places twice, neither one returned my call. I finally got someone when my parents had a plumber come in to fix their toilet and my mother actually put me on the phone with him while he was doing the service call. I couldn’t believe how hard it was to get someone to do the job — I almost did it myself except the intersection of plumbing and electricity scares me more than a little bit!! Try Caesar Plumbing in the east end.