HELLOOOOOOOOOO! I've been missing in action and I'm really sorry about it. I've been busy, busy, but now can communicate with everyone while I am on the road cause I'm going to invested in a Blackberry. Right now I have a loaner for a couple of weeks to see how I like it. It is an older model, and does not take pictures but I love the idea that I can access the internet while not at home. I've been working both my jobs, went to Greenbay/Wrightown, Wisconsin to pick up Shelby and Deanna's two Boston Terriers on the 24th of July. I can't say I enjoyed getting out of the Ohare airport and going through the Port of Milwaukee was no picnic either. Oh lord, I could have never done it without the GPS a friend let me borrow. So, while Shelby and DeAnna are celebrating the 7th year that Shelby is in remission on the beaches of Antigua. I get the pleasure of watching the two little devils. I love them, but garden dogs they are NOT. The weather has been great and we've been able to shut off the central air and enjoy opening the windows. But, the little devils whine, cry, bark, and run from window to window and I can hear them even when I'm way out back. Needless to say this drives me nuts, and don't get me started with how bad they terrorize my cats. Will I be glad to take them back? OH LORD YES! The idea of skipping August sounds good to me. This will give me time to get caught up on more boxes. Speaking of boxes Alana and Sassy what kind of fragrance DO YOU NOT LIKE. I only have one of the Pillow talk and would hate to send something you guys didn't want or use. Kat, Welcome, and glad to hear you are doing well with your shoulder surgery. I would love to see pics of your Great Danes, they are wonderful dogs! Vic, I wish I could help you out with a cat, but........I'm sorry,as much as love ya. Would I drive cross country to bring you on? NO,NO,NO! You say Why? (see above for my trip through Chicago and Milwaukee. Crazy drivers, the speed limit says 65 and these people are going 90. Trust me, if you don't keep up with the flow they will run you over. I just about had a semi up my you know what. I believe I used several new cuss words. Tracy did I see you say you blew up Alana's garden. Now what could Alana possibly do to have you do that? Or should I ask? Sassy, I tell you what, I will trade you Kensie for two little angels for a week. HeLLO to everyone else. I miss you all! This is my only day off and I am leaving for Chicago Friday then Shelby will drive from the airport to his house. I will be coming back on the 9th. Work three days then I'll be off except for doing my part time job a few hours each day for a week. I need some coffee!! LIFE IS GOOD, Annie

I guess the light plug is not varible like the control. I have replaced cords & or plugs on controls. If the plug is pulled from the wall by the cord & not the plug, it can break wires. You can buy a new plug & cut off a short piece of the cord & rewire it. Sometime you can determine if this is the issue by flexing it while plugged in & you are pressing the control. If it kicks in & goes back off, that is the problem. You can buy generic controls for about $15-20 (for mechanical not electronic) & wire it in with your existing wires if you control has worn out. I'd say the higher % is the cord is broken at the plug.

We first bought a Kenmore Elite HE toploader in 2012, thinking the upper cabinet space requirement limited us to toploader option. (I believe that LG was the actual manufacturer then). Well, the toploader was horrific. I'd put in navy tops and they would come out with white soap residue like the spin wasn't working to get all the clothes stirred up. Sears was awesome; they let me exchange them for the Kenmore Elite front loaders, also by LG. MUCH better! I've been happily using them ever since. Put them on pedestals to save my back. I referred my dad to Speed Queen because he lives where water is not an issue. For us in So. CA, water conservation trumps the water hungry Speed Queens so use water conservation as a guide. HTH

I like Jerrod's suggestion to look at the clean out area at the pump, what ever that is called, lower left front. His comment makes sense to me. Carolina, front loaders clean mechanically too, it tumbles the clothing into a pool of water. This pool of water is, I believe, calculated for depth depending on the programmed cycle. For example "dress shirts" cycle has a deep pool and softens fall of the tumbled clothes. "Whites" is a shallower pool and the fall with each tumble is more aggressive. I also doubt that the 3 hour trip for the washer did anything, unless they tipped the machine onto its side. I have transported 2 old Mieles 6 hour distances without the shipping struts. One machine, the struts were missing, the other I tried using my modern struts and only got one inside to sort of brace the drum. Anyway the machines are fine. Getting jostled down a flight of stairs with a dolly to the basement, without the struts in place. One machine I opened and tested the shocks, as @Linus (Bjorn) suggested and they were perfect.