The Continuing Dishwasher Saga

The dishwasher repairman cometh!

Remember, my appointment is scheduled between 8 -10. Same rules apply. He will call before he comes and IF I don't answer, he won't come. I walk the house with BOTH the cordless phone and my cell.

He calls at 7:50 and says he will be here at 8. WooHoo! How hard was that? Why can't it be this easy every time?

Randy/Travis/Phil comes and is friendly, knowledgable guy. with a grin and a laugh, he tells me he can have everything fixed by the holidays. I laugh too.........but I think he is serious.

He fixes the broken spring in the door in 3 1/2 seconds. Cha-ching! That's $100. And the most serious of the dishwasher problems is fixed.

Now on to trivial things - like how to get the dang thing started.

Yes, I was correct. The computer board is fried.

Randy/Travis/Phil - "This is a pretty common problem.....except we don't usually carry this part of our van."

I'm thinking - If it's a COMMON problem, why don't you carry the parts on your van? What do you carry on the van?

I might have said that aloud because he said,

"I'll check my van though.........just in case."

So I watch. I'm waiting for him to go out to the van and check.

He pulls out his computer and tells me he's going to check.

You need a computer to check the parts in your van? I know, how about you go out to the van and open the doors and look around?

Randy/Travis/Phil -"Oh shoot. I can't check. My GPS is down."

Huh? You need a GPS to track down a part in your van? How big is the van?

Randy/Travis/Phil -"I'm gonna have to go out to the van. I'll be right back."

Yeah - this is what I'm talking about. YOU go out to the van and then come BACK with the part. He goes out to the van. He gets in the driver's seat and turns it on. He's not rummaging around the back at all! He's not looking! He LEAVES THE VAN RUNNING and comes back in.

Randy/Travis/Phil - "Yep, I knew it. I called heaquarters and the part in not on my van."

You had to call headquarters? That's it. Open the dang van. What the heck is back there? Illegal immigrants being smuggled? Trash bags of pot? Child slaves being taken to factories? I want to see the dishwasher parts!

Randy/Travis/Phil - "Well, the thing is ....." Oh THIS is going to be good! "Not only is the part not on my van. There isn't one in Colorado. So here's what we'll do. We'll order it and it will be UPSed to you and then I'll come and fix it. You better schedule an appointment for about 9 days out."

He wasn't lying about getting fixed by the holidays. Why was he laughing when he said that? Why did I laugh with him? He's coming NEXT - yeah that's NEXT Tuesday BEFORE Thanksgiving.

My favorite part: His computer starts whirring and magically, even though the GPS part finder is down, it spits out a receipt - $353.00.

Huh? I didn't GET anything. I don't have a cute new outfit. I don't have a designer handbag. I don't have a new chair to sit on or set of dishes for THE HOLIDAYS, in fact, I don't even have a dishwasher that works! I have NOTHING to show for $353!

Pass me a stack of paper plates!