Joys of home ownership

Yesterday we had a Sears repairman take a look at our dryer, which has been making loud thumping noises. Turns out the ball bearing which controls the tumble function is broken and the machine also needs a new belt. Estimated cost of repairs? $283 with a two- week wait until one part is available. It would be faster and close to the same amount of money to just buy a new dryer. So now we face buying a new machine which might be able to fit down the narrow stairwell into our basement.

I learned that dryers usually last for the lifetime of 2 1/2 washing machines. You buy a pair, a few years later the washer goes and you buy another. After a few more years the second washer fails and then the dryer does too.

What does this have to do with cancer? The repairman pointed out that since this dryer is from 1985, it's given many years of use and thus falls at the far right hand end of the curve, where we all want to be. That's the image I use when talking about living with mets for a long time. Someone has to be at the far right of the curve, living with it for many years, and why shouldn't I be that person?

Nonetheless I hate making a major appliance decision on the spur of the moment.