Chivalry is dead ... DEAD I tell you!!!

Hey everyone :-)

Ok, this is a straight up RANT! There. You've been warned ;-)

A couple of weeks before Christmas, I splurged $100 and bought myself a pre-present. A used dishwasher :-) My previous dishwasher (which was also bought used for $100 lol) lasted 3.5 yrs, but finally washed it's last dish in Oct..

I tried washing the dishes by hand for a couple of months. I really did!!! I just couldn't seem to keep ahead of the little suckers, and to be completely honest, I'd put off doing them as long as possible because ... I absolutely HATE doing dishes!!! I'd rather clean 100 toilets, sweep a thousand floors, or do a million loads of laundry than have to do those b*%^$^!'d's.

Growing up, it was my 'job' to help mom with the dishes every night. E...v...e...r...y night! She'd wash, I'd dry. I can still to this day, close my eyes and hear her voice calling down the hall ... "Kimberllllyyyyyyyy Diiiiiissssshhhhheeeesssss"

UGH!

I begged my dad for a dishwasher. Often lol. He had the same answer for me every time ... "We HAVE a dishwasher, Kimberly! She's 12-13-14-15-16-... etc. years old and hasn't broken down yet!!!" Same answer ... every time lol.

I promised myself when I 'grew up', I'd have a dishwasher! And I did, up until Oct :-) I tried the 'dishes by hand thing' again ... didn't like it. Call me spoiled if you like, but ... still didn't like it. So I got myself a 'new to me' dishwasher that works like a dream! Merry Christmas to me :-)

The ex came over and took out the old and installed the new ... WooHoo! Mama's got a new dishwasher dance!!!!! :-)

The old one went out the door and on to the deck. I asked the ex if he'd come over in a couple days time, to help me drag it down to the bin at the road for garbage pickup. He said he would, didn't happen.

That wasn't the rant ;-)

I waited four weeks for it to get to the road ... it didn't. Last night, I said 'screw it!' and finally decided to drag it down myself.

On to the rant ;-)

Before tackling the dishwasher, I brought a few other garbage bags I had thrown on the deck down to the road. While doing so, a neighbours son and his friend started playing basketball in our backyard/driveway..

I don't mind that they do this. They're welcome to play in our yard. They are older, 14ish I believe, and they tolerate my two boys occasionally going out to 'play' ball with them also, because they know they're using our hoop too lol. And I know my boys like the 'games' they have, so neighbours are welcome.

Anyway, I get the bags down to the road, and think to myself "Yes! ... Joe and Jack are there, they'll help me drag that dishwasher down". For sure two 'strappin' young 'uns like them wouldn't let someone like myself, who gets the 'careful, it's windy out there ... don't blow away' jokes (grrrrrr!), try and drag a full sized dishwasher down a long gravel driveway all by herself ......

I grabbed onto it, braced myself, bent the knees, tilted it, prayed I wouldn't pop a lung, and pulled. Hey ... it wasn't that bad :-) Course there was also still a bit of ice on the deck to help it slide along :-) Oops ...no more ice, dragging on wood now ... l...i...t...t...l...e bit heavier .....

At this point, when I started adjusting it's position, trying to make it easier to drag, I expected one of the two boys to yell out "Need a hand with that?" Nothing. I couldn't believe it! Call me old fashioned, but if ever one of my boys saw anyone ... woman, man, child struggling with something, especially if it was someone they knew, I would EXPECT them to say "Need a hand? Can I help?

Nope.

I dragged it across the deck, then down the two steps. Did you know dishwashers make alot of noise when they're slammed down steps? lol After this I needed a break and tilted it back up and stopped for a minute. Now that I was less than 20 ft away, surely they could see what I was dragging and offer a hand ...

Nope.

Now I know some are asking "Why didn't you just ASK them to help you!" and you're right, I should have just spoken up and asked for help, but you know what? I'm just stubborn that way :-) I shouldn't HAVE to ask. Now, I was pissed off. It bothered me that two 'good sized' boys would see a neighbour struggling with something heavy and not offer to help. But, like I said, maybe I'm just old fashioned that way.

Determined now to get this sucker to the end of the driveway, I tilted it and started dragging again across the concrete stones ... yeah ... probably scratched those .... oops, alternative was to tear up the grass though lol. When I got to the driveway, I met my match.

Have you ever tried to drag a full sized dishwasher down a gravel driveway? They tend to sink in those big stones and dirt lol. And get MUCH heavier lol.

I made it a few feet past the corner of the house and could drag no more. I walked over to the basement window and knocked for Alec to come out and help me. No way I was going to get this down there by myself, so I may as well get help from SOMEONE!

I was worried it might be too heavy for Alec, which was why I hadn't asked him to help in the first place. But he came running out, stood beside me and we dragged that baby down there together :-) He made sure to note both times that it was ME who needed to take the breaks, not him LOL. I blamed it on the COPD ;-)

And the B-Ball game played on.

I thanked my Little Man, and reminded myself that I may not be able to control how other kids react in a given situation, but I can certainly keep the art of chivalry alive in my own two boys :-)

Oh, and the neighbourhood kids ... ? They're still always welcome to come over. And if there's ever a next time I need help, I'll simply handle it with a 'get your basketball playin' butts over here and give me a hand boys!' instead ;-)

Later all, time to go load the dishwasher ;-) Have a great weekend!

Kim