dryer lint

well, the dryer wasn't doing its job, and it had a kind of funny smell, so i figured it must be time to clean out the dryer vent. you always hear those terrible warnings that if you don't clean the vent your house will catch on fire or something.

note to self: wear a mask next time you try this. or hire a professional.

i heaved the dryer out of its miniscule upstairs hall closet (i hate this fact enough to dedicate a whole post to just it) and was confronted with 4 years of... stuff. lint, fuzz, money, hair ties, rocks, papers, ribbons, you name it. so much stuff, but nothing really exciting. (i'm not sure why i was expecting a jackpot, but after all that heaving, i had high hopes!) anyhow, i had to squeeze out to get the dustapn and a screwdriver to remove the tube from the dryer as well as the wall. by the time i got back up, the children had made a, well, a prison for themselves in the bathroom that was being blocked by the dryer. i carefully eased my way back in behind (whew!) and swept up the dust, cleaned out the vent, and replaced all the parts. i was already sneezing and hacking (still am) but felt it was a job well done. or well ALMOST done. i still had to push the sucker back! it was lots harder than it looked, and after cursing, sweating, and breaking my back....TA DA!!!! i did it.

just another day in the life of a working housewife.

and the children were so disappointed that i wrecked their fortress. alas, sometimes you are the only one to pat yourself on the back for a crappy job well done.