My washer is broken.
It washes fine but does not spin/pump out the water. I washed several loads of clothes last weekend because we were out of underwear, etc., and relied on the dryer to -- eventually -- get the clothes dry.
We shall not discuss the number of electrons that I burned in order to dry the still-dripping clothes.I tried different cycles and combinations of buttons, but nothing worked. The clothes came out dripping wet every time.
Argh.
* * * * *
On the bright side, I have confirmed through repeated experiments that a couple of wadded up balls of aluminum foil will perform at least as well -- and perhaps better -- than dryer sheets and do it without chemicals.
Yee haw!
* * * * *
Ready for another rant? Good.
2-1/2 weeks ago I started getting... itchy. I have always had dry sensitive skin and had nasty eczema as a child and teenager. As an adult I use moisturizers and the occasional skim of cortisone cream for the occasional (minor) eczema outbreak. But this was different. After a week the light dawned that This.Was.Different. My arms and shins were breaking out and the itching was pretty much uncontrollable. Misery.
I pinpointed what seems to have been the cause. In the winter I always smooth baby oil on my arms and legs and lower back (the driest areas, most prone to itching) before drying off after a shower. I've done this for years and years and it works better than lotions. A few weeks ago Smokey and Matthew emptied a bathroom cabinet so they could fix a broken something. Among the bottles and jars that came out of the cabinet was an old bottle of Johnson & Johnson baby oil, which I decided to use up as there was only a little bit left.
Apparently there was something growing in that baby oil, something that I reacted to.
I only used it once.
Realizing that a rash is generally self-limiting and that all a doctor would do is prescribe a cortisone lotion or cream -- which I already had -- I did not go to the clinic until the next week when it became clear that what I was doing wasn't working well enough. The rash was spreading onto my torso and I was going NUTS.
Expert medical advice: cortisone cream twice a day, Claritin during the day, Benadryl at night, use lotions and moisturizers as needed. That was Monday. Today is Thursday and it is still spreading. I am still going nuts. I have an appointment with the dermatologist next Tuesday, which right now seems like years away...
* * * * *
Oh, yeah, and I have a cracked molar. Today my dentist will drill and delve and put on a temporary crown. The permanent one will have to wait until we get back from vacation.
That is all. I'm gonna go outside and eat worms...
ETA: I keep reminding myself that things could be worse -- death, flood, famine, lupus, fibromyalgia, cancer. Then I scratch myself, curse, and move on.
