Seriously???

Contrary to popular belief, everything that happens in the Fitzgerald household is not abnormal and totally bizarre. It just feels like it sometimes.

At the end of February, I surprised SuperHubby with a long weekend in Asheville to celebrate his 40th birthday. Go me. The night before we left, after he loaded the washer with all his clothes that he planned to pack, our dryer died. We got it the first Christmas we were married, so it was almost 16 years old...and yet it picked this most inopportune time to die. We've been struggling with drying clothes at random places ever since.

So Friday SH went to Lowe's and bought a new dryer. I had seen a commercial where they would deliver the new one and haul off the old one...FREE. Since "free" is my love language, we decided to go that route. Upon arrival in dryer department at Lowe's, SH discovered that "free" means "if you purchase a dryer that costs more than $397." Seriously? Not $400?? Nope, $397. He bought the $398 model and scheduled the next-day delivery for Monday (keep up - we had to work Saturday and Sunday).

Meanwhile, I had a buttload of errands to run on Saturday, including picking up my dad to bring to church with us. This was an amazing thing that I certainly wasn't going to let pass by. The van had been having the hiccups for about a week but I knew she'd get me to West Ashley (for my dad) and then later the same day to Ravenel (to drop the boys at my aunt's, where they were spending the night so they could be with the family for Easter). While I was running errands, she decided NOT SO MUCH. Seriously?? This is the time we're going to die? I don't think so. I promptly rented a car.

I called Buget Car Rental. When the lovely-accnted woman answered the phone, I asked her where she was located. Her reply? "Right now? The West Coast." SERIOUSLY???? I had to explain to her that what I REALLY needed to know was where to pick up the car I was renting. WOW. I thought stupid stuff like that happened only in forwarded emails.

We all squeezed into SH's car and made a mad dash for the airport before SH had to leave for work. They upgraded me to an SUV, which was super cool. It had to be returned today. At the same time the dryer was being delivered. And I couldn't find anyone to drop me and the car off. So on the one day when we don't have kids, we're exhausted, and we could - in theory - sleep late, we were on the road at 8:15 to take the car back.

Meanwhile, the Lowe's guys were 2 hours late (who didn't see that coming?). I didn't care. I've never been so excited about doing laundry in all my life. Of course, every time we turn the dryer on, it throws the breaker in our laundry room. The only thing worse than not having a dryer is having a dryer that sits there and taunts you.

My weekend wrap-up? I don't have a car, my dryer doesn't work, my children are on spring break, one of them acts like he's getting a cold, and my medical insurance still owes me $700+ in reimbursements (sorry - that one's never going to NOT be a topic on my blog!). The good news? My dad went to church with me, we had 34 services at Seacoast - over 14000 people! - and even though I worked all day Sunday, I can't imagine anywhere I would have rather been.