NEW WATER HEATER

Okay. So the kitchen stove wasn't working properly when we moved back to N GA. We've had it worked on. Took them a while but...

Then we had to buy a new washer and dryer. The washer was dancing around the floor, the dryer refused to cut off. But after twenty years, what do you expect?

Then the heat didn't work. Got it fixed. Then this summer, the air didn't work. Got it fixed. Then the heat wouldn't work again. Got it fixed. Had to put in a new handler and rewire but hey...It's working now.

Then the dishwasher refused to cycle properly. I had to set it on wash, turn it off, drain, and set on rinse to get the dishes washed. Got it fixed. Sears forgot to tell the repairman he had to replace another part so it blew the board. And he had to come back and replace it.

The icemaker on the refrigerator didn't work so we got it fixed. Not much more to go wrong, right?

Went back to the coastal condo to check on things and guess what. The hot water heater was leaking out the bottom. Not ten years old but we had to get a new one.

I think all that's left is the fridge. And I'm afraid it's time for it to go, too. If 2012 isn't better than 2011, I'm ready to surrender and go to a boarding house somewhere. With or without the cats.

HOUSEHOLD PROBLEMS

I think I've listed all the problems we've had before after moving back to north Georgia, but I'll go over them again.

The ceramic kitchen range top had a hole in it the size of a boiler pan. We got it replaced but it didn't work. Repair people came back, couldn't get it to working. Another repair person came out and fixed except for one burner. Another person came back and fixed it, but then another burner didn't work. Finally a supervisor came out, fixed so all burners work. Of course the 'hot' light indicator stays on all the time. That's okay. I can live with that.

At the same time this was going on, we hooked up the old washer and dryer. The washer pranced around the utility room, the dryer didn't cut off. Bought new ones.

The heat didn't work; people came out and fixed. Still didn't work. Came back, fixed. This summer the air didn't work; people came back and fixed. Only the heat kept coming on even when the air was on because they had previously fixed the heat by having heat strips in the furnace come on all the time, whether it was set on air or heat. They fixed that, but we had to turn on the air inside, then run out and press a reset on the outside thingie. People came back, decided it needed to be rewired and we needed a new airhandler. We bought the air handler, they rewired and put in a new thermostat. Then it turned cold recently, and we had heat, right? Not so. We called, they came out, decided a wire had been left disconnected and fixed. That was a week or so ago. We'll see.

In the meantime, we had a plumbing leak but didn't take much to fix it so let's not mention it. However, we also had the icemaker refuse to turn off when it made ice so it sprinkled ice all over the kitchen when the freezer door was opened. And the dishwasher lost its mind; I had to push the wash cycle, let it wash an hour or so, turn it off, let it drain, then push the rinse cycle a couple of times.

So Vince came out earlier this week, put in a new icemaker -- we don't have to remember to turn the icemaker off at night any more! -- fixed the dishwasher and voila! We're in business.

Except I went to wash dishes today and guess what? I turn it on, it turns itself off. Immediately. No washing, no rinsing. Nothing. I can't even do the manual push-the-wash-button, then cancel and push the rinse-button routine.

I'm sobbing. Vince's voicemail is picking up. Looks like it's dishwashing by hand for a few days.

So what else can go wrong? No, I don't even want to go there.