Laundry fairy at large

As you probably know, laundry fairies have a job that never really stops... it just pauses every now and then. For nearly two decades, the trusty washing machine given me by my sweet mom-in-law has powered through load after load, with little complaint. Oh, it's had the occasional hiccup, but it's responded well to maintenance, so we've just kept right on using it, even though it's probably 30+ years old at this point.

But alas, a few days ago the old workhorse refused to drain a wash load. I know it's not an issue with the belt -- we just barely had it tightened again. It's probably the pump. And our doughty repairman doesn't really want to fix the pump; the last time he was here, he told us that if something else went, we'd be better off just getting a new washer.

Well, we looked into that. New washers -- the ones that do a good job of cleaning clothes -- cost nearly $1000. I don't have that kind of change loitering about the house. Or I could buy a used washer on Craigslist for $250. Or there's the third option: take our current washer apart, troubleshoot all the possible issues, and fix the pump or replace it. This appeals to me, simply because I'd prefer to fix rather than buy new; it bothers me that so many items get thrown out for want of a single replaceable part. If we can suss it out, the cost for a replacement pump would be $25-$30. That's more our speed right now. So my wily plan is to get the manly (and twinkly) Captain Midnight to assist me in fiddling with our washer's innards. If it works, we'll have our old workhorse back; if it doesn't, we're out $30, tops.

In the meantime, I'm spending more time and money than I'd care to at the Seelie Court Laundromat. Bah. At least the dryer is still going strong.

ETA (4/6/14): Captain Midnight, undaunted as usual, knew just what to do -- and now the washer washes once again! Granted, it's a bit incontinent, but it's had that problem on and off for a long time now. I'm just rejoicing at not having to go to the laundromat again this week. GO CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT!