3 Months of Deployment, Down!

Yesterday was 3 months since Clay left for this deployment. With the kids coming home and the end of the school year, it’s all really flown by. I suppose that it doesn’t hurt that everyone has been healthy and we haven’t had any major issues.

To mark the 3rd month that we’ve made it, my dryer decided to give me trouble! Of course! I realized that a load I had put in the night before was still running! I did a test run and saw that the drum was spinning. Did another test and felt that the clothes were, indeed, getting warm. So, what could be the problem? I pulled the dryer from the wall, took out my lint tool and reached as FAAAARRRRRR into the trap as I could, figuring that there was a lint build up. I did pull out some lint, but not an amount that should have given me trouble. Then I removed the dryer hose and dumped it out and cleaned it with the lint brush. Then I got scared, realizing that the hose goes outside and what if the problem was a mouse that had built a nest inside the hose and was blocking the way!!!??? What if I kept shaking it out, onto the floor and a mouse ran out!!!!???? I squealed and threw the dryer hose. Good strategy, huh?! I gathered my wits, realized that there was, in fact, no living creature in the dryer hose and continued. I was at a loss! I sent JJ outside to check the out-take and handed him the lint brush.

Soon I hear, “Hey Mom! Come here!”

This made me SURE that there MUST be a mouse (getting the picture that I have an extreme rodent fear?). I went out and around and looked at the side of the house.

Hmmm…….could the problem have ANYTHING to do with the fact that the out-take was smashed, flat against the house? Could a certain, bat-loving, banging-on-everything, 5 year-old boy have ANYTHING to do with it? Hmmm……

So, JJ pulled it back into shape and we gave it a test run. Voila! Dry clothes once again. The bonus is that the laundry room got cleaned and the dryer is lint free.

Have a great day!