2007-07-26 - 8:31 p.m.
I have a Costco card! This is an event unparalleled in recent times in my life. Not that that really means anything. Just because it's unparalleled doesn't mean that it's the best, or the worst, or the most notable event. Just that it's different. Anyway, the card was free, which is sure to please Dad. The good old room mate has a card, courtesy of his dad's business. Since I live with him, and he has a card, I get one too.
The reason that we were at Costco was the other big event in recent times: a new dishwasher. I felt pretty privileged when I moved in here, since it was at the time equipped with a dishwasher, fireplace, widescreen HD tv, and in suite laundry, all of which is included in the rent. In recent times it's become clear (well, actually, nothing was becoming clear, which was the problem) that the dishwasher was approaching the end of it's natural life. As James put it, "it's a bottom of the line model from 1980. How much can you expect?" It was getting to the stage when you put a reasonably clean water glass in, it would come out dirtier than when you started. We had both studiously ignored this for as long as possible, with me, at least, making a point of not looking too closely at a glass or plate before I used it. It got to the point where we couldn't ignore it on Sunday, ripped out the old one on Tuesday, and bought this yesterday.
Hooking it up was a bit of an adventure. It was made worse by both of us working on it, rather than just one guy. In the end I did most of it, and it wasn't too hard. I called on all my electrical skills garnered during weekends in high school, and marretted the black wire to the black wire, and the white to the white. Pretty rough stuff. Then we had to hook up the water, which was made a little more complicated by James' not having removed the old fitting on the pipe, and me not realizing that there was an extra fitting, and becoming very confused about how it would fit. In the end I put on my metaphorical moustache, and thought it through like Dad would. A little thread tape, and we were off to the races. It's a nice unit, quiet, energy efficient, and best of all - a stainless steel finish.
The sharp eyed reader may notice there was a gap in my recitation of the days above. We did nothing with the dishwasher on Monday, as we were bottling beer. We had arranged for a batch of U-Brew beer a few weeks ago, to be split between Jeff, James and I. Jeff backed out though, so James and I got to split a hundred pints. It's a honey pale ale, and very, very good. You do the bottling yourself, which is pretty simple. Put the bottle in the machine, push the button. After it fills, screw the cap on, and that's it. Pretty simple, even for me.
So now I have a Costco card (if I ever can scam a ride out to Langford to go shopping there)a new dishwasher, and fifty pints of beer. Should be an interesting weekend.
