Dishwashers Rock!!!

I want to tell the short version of the back story without confusing anyone...So, here goes. I used to work as an investigator for the local Probation Department. It was a very cool job, but didn't pay well. I left there and went to work for Administaff. (I will put their name so that you know the company that doesn't value people!!!) Shortly after I started there I found out I was pregnant with Miles. I say shortly, but it was really after the first interview and before the second. I tried to hide it for a while but this being my 5th pregnancy, I showed pretty quickly. I told my boss after I had been there for about a month. About 1 week after this, I was put on probation (ironic huh, leave probation only to be put on probation) for my sales being low (I was a telemarketer...hey it paid well). I tried everything to get my sales up...everything! The quota was 3/day and I was at something like 2.5/day. They kept me on probation alot longer than they should and then fired me when I was about 5.5 months along (bastards!), just after Christmas. The guy who did it (it was his first time) gave a $100 American Express gift check because he felt so bad.

Anyway, so here I am unemployed and pregnant with a mortgage. Of course my husband was working his butt off and I was getting unemployment. But it wasn't enough. We put our house on the market. It sat there FOREVER and didn't sell. The only offer we got was for us to finance 50% for well under our asking price. We lost our house in December 2004 after Miles was born. (as I am sure you can understand, our focus totally changed once he arrived) We moved out of it just before he was born though. I couldn't see moving after we had the baby so we found an apartment that looked like it was the "perfect" size (when it was empty). Once we got all of our stuff in there...MAN was that place small! Plus, half of our stuff was in storage. BUT, it was really cheap and allowed us to recover and allowed me to stay home with Miles and Riley so no daycare costs. It also allowed me to be free to take Miles to a million doctor visits and to stay with him while in the hospital for the 10 weeks he was in the first year.

Moving right along...We were so sick of that tiny place by the end of our lease. Plus, I had gone back to work so we had more money (back at the probation department...this time as a secretary). So, we found a house to rent. COOL! A yard, a garage...all the good stuff. BUT NO DISHWASHER!!! That is cool, I can handle it, I will just wash them myself! Well I was the youngest of three...I was the "put away" girl! Chris was wash, Katie was dry, and I was put away. I never had to wash dishes! Plus, by the time that I was the one who would be washing, my parents bought a dishwasher. I hate to wash dishes and usually look at the sink full and say, "I will get it tomorrow." But you can't do that because tomorrow, there will be more! and tomorrow and tomorrow....

Well, while my parents were in town my mom and I made a run to the grocery store. We passed a yard sale and I thought I saw a dishwasher for sale. It is not my house, I can't install appliances so why stop right? My mom says, just stop and ask about it. I say, nah, I don't feel like negotiating a price. She says, I'll do it, what is your limit? (I am really cheap) I say, "$15" She says, okay. We stop, I only have a $20 so my limit changes to $20. Would you believe it is a portable dishwasher! You roll it up to your sink and hook it to the spicket!!!! My mom the negotiator says, will you take $15. The lady says, I will take $20!!! (kismet!) So after a year of washing my dishes myself, I am now the proud owner a fine used portable dishwasher!!! Best 20 bucks I ever spent! Now all I have to find is a removable garbage disposal!