That was great Andrew. Thanks.

Dorothy, All the EPA rules to make washing machines and dishwashers use less energy have just about ruined them. It takes dish washers an eternity to dry dishes now, for example, because the manufacturers have replaced one big motor with multiple small motors to save electricity. Those small motors don't have the power to do the job well. I learned this from the repair guy who was here to repair our brand new washer that did not work at all on Day 1 when it was installed. Aparently the main control board and everything else electronic inside of it didn't work. By the time he replaced all the electronics inside of it, the parts had cost as much as the dishwasher cost when we bought it. It didn't cost us a cent because it obviously was under warranty, but it was aggravating. I agree that country people need true hot water cycles, not lukewarm water cycles. I became aware of the hot water issue with clothes washers when researching washers and dryers on the Laundry Forum here at GW, and was shocked to learn that hot isn't hot any more. Our next washer will have the built-in water heater to help ensure that when we use hot water, we get hot water. It is ridiculous that this is necessary just like it is ridiculous you had to get a commercial model. Stockergal, They don't make anything to last any more, do they? Old appliance are the best. If I'd known how bad new ones were, I never would have replaced our old washer and dryer about 8 years ago. We would have just kept on repairing them forever. It is ridiculous that your two-year-old washing machine is trying to die already. I expect ours to go any time. Our repair guy (who works for a very large repair firm that does warranty work/extended warranty work for virtually all appliance manufacturers) told me late last month that the washers and dryers made now last about 10 years and no longer, and that is if you don't get a lemon. Sounds like your machine owes you 8 more years of service that you're not likely to get. Kim, You are a good daughter for not saying I told you so. I hate a lot of the features on this new machines. I don't care how many features a new machine has if those features make it harder to use instead of simpler. My mom's clothes washer is at least 30 years old, still looks pretty good, works great and doesn't give her any trouble at all. They don't make washers like that any more. Amy, It is ridiculous, isn't it? I've never heard of a washer tearing buttons off clothing. That must have been incredibly aggravating. With the front loaders there's also endless complaints about them rubbing/tearing tiny holes in clothing, especially cotton t-shirts, often the first time the clothing is washed. Of course, I suspect the problem also has something to do with the quality of clothing sold nowadays not being any better than the quality of appliances. Paula, I hope you'll keep us posted on your new washer, how well it works and how well you like it. Clearly, we have a crowd of people here who are not necessarily impressed with their own fairly-new washers. Dawn

Cute! I could see my nephews and nieces fighting over who gets to be first at the mini-kitchen, LOL.

Whuuuuuuuut?! Ammonia, slugs, and soil? Have not heard of this, please tell me the details. Right now my main slug control is a shallow bowl of PBR, or Milwaukee's finest, whatever is cheapest. My slugs are clearly Irish immigrants, because they do love the open bar. I have an area by an aralia that has been so slug infested the aralia growth was cut in half last year. This year I've caught probably to 200 slugs at that one spot (keep in mind that given my location, we just started slug season). My heart leaps for joy when I see the baby slugs, less than 1/4" long, heading for the bar, knowing they'll never lay eggs. That one spot alone keeps my butt in the air for a few minutes every morning. Tell me about the ammonia! By the way, given that it wasn't too many years ago that most of us tried to kill every insect we saw, and now we are trying to save every insect we can (except for maybe Japanese Beetles), I asked somebody from the botanical garden if one day I would regret killing slugs. She said no regrets, kill away. I have many many slugs in the woods around me, but this one garden area is just overloaded. This is from last year, and the dish had been on the ground less than three hours when this photo was taken.