This is going to be, I suspect, an aggravating week at the office:
- A major, politically sensitive, poorly timed, amorphously defined project proposal is due Friday before the execs, Tuesday before lower management, with a “sneak peak” due this morning (hence the homework over the weekend). This effort has “FAIL” all over it, and yet, here I am, somehow appointed Guy to Write the White Paper / Executive Summary. Which is fine, save for all the incomplete crap that is being shoveled my direction in the way of “deliverables” for said proposal. Which will likely not get picked up, but for all the wrong reasons (though God help us if it is), but which needs to be as clean and compelling and defensible as possible. Maybe I need to suddenly come down with the flu …
- One of my staff is being told by the government her work permit is being canceled; we want to keep her, but not so much as to pony up for the expensive process that needs to be gone through to do so, since it was a voluntary relocation on her part (to be near family). Which means I’m going to have to tell her that she’ll have to pay for it out of her own pocket.
- I have another ex-pat whose contract is coming up, and I’m expecting much angst in negotiations with various parties.
On a related, non-office but still-aggravating note, we need to replace our washing machine, which has sprung a slow leak during the spin cycle. The thing is fourteen years old, and hardly worth repairing, though it’s served us well. We’ve already done the CR research, and have our local stores that we plan to check out (including our favorite, the Sears Dent-n-Ding Center, since, really, who cares if the washing machine has a scratch on its side, especially if that causes it to be marked down substantially because they can’t sell it in the stores).
77 view(s)
I LOVE the dent & ding, last year’s model sections of appliance stores! As long as they work, I could care less if if’s not the latest and shiniest bit of fluff.
Exactamundo. Our dishwasher and current fridge came from there.
You should definitely look at getting front loader. They are more energy and environmentally friendly and the clean better IMHO.
I also love scratch and dent.
Front loaders are on our short-list. They are more expensive and slower, but also quieter.
Front-loading washing machines may be slower and quieter, I haven’t noticed either of those qualities when using the two that I’ve owned (one Kenmore, one GE). Compensating for being slower would be the fact that the clothes come out less wet, so the dryer takes less time to dry them.
I bought front-loading washers because they use less water, and are gentler on your clothes. I can’t measure the water usage, so I’m taking the manufacturer’s word on that. I also have no way to objectively measure the idea that front-loaders are gentler on clothing, but it makes sense since there’s no center agitator as there is in most top-loaders.
The one downside I have found to my GE front-loader is that one should leave the door open after using it to allow excess water to evaporate, otherwise I get a little mold growth in the washer (smells funky). I didn’t have that problem with the Sears unit.
The one top-loader that looked kind of interesting and innovative was the Australian brand Fisher Paykel. It’s matching dryer was also top-loading. I think I decided on the GE rather than the Fisher Paykel mostly due to price.
Good point (also know, but not noted) that dryer usage is reduced with front-loaders.
I’d read (in CR, which is where the issue of slower cycles came up) about having to leave the door open a bit. That’s a little annoying, but doable.