Elbow-deep in shit water

As I noted earlier, things have been hum-drum normal around here with little to report that wouldn't bore you to the point where your eyes bleed. I made the mistake of reporting that below and then the gods who oversee Murphy's Laws and the like decided to hit me with some excitement. But not the kind I like. More like the kind I hate.

The cloth diaper pail was full this afternoon so I put them in the washing machine and set it to cold/cold rinse. I always do a cold rinse before I do a hot wash. My old-timer washing machine doesn't have a "soak" cycle so I have to go old school. Anywho, I left them to do their thing and went upstairs to relax and do some knitting while the kiddies slept. I found it odd that almost right away I didn't hear the distinct sounds of our washing machine grinding away. After a while I went downstairs to check on things, hoping to add the soap and send it on to the wash cycle. What I found instead was a washing machine filled with diapers, shit water and making a click, click, click sound as the agitator kept trying and failing to move, spin and drain the water. I sent it back to the start and noticed that it would add more water (I quickly put an end to that) but still would only click instead of drain.

A quick check on the friendly internet told me.... well, that I had problems. Could be a number of things: jammed hose, sock down inside the agitator mechanism, jammed basin, blah, blah, blah, basically I'm screwed.

I left the problem for a while. Okay, okay.... I left it for several hours during which time the Government decided to inform me that I still owe over $300 on my taxes because they're charging me interest for not prepaying my taxes. That is a rant, and boy, will it be a rant, for another day. In fact, my hands are starting to shake typing this I'm that rant-ready.

Back to the story at hand. I donned rubber gloves, got an old Brita jug that will clearly not be used for drinking water again, pulled out all the sopping wet still slightly poopy diapers and put them back in the diaper pail, then started to bail until I could at least see the bottom. I felt around the bottom of the agitator. Nothing obvious. I pulled on it. I pushed it. I may have kicked the machine. Nothing will move. There is no clear way to remove the agitator.

I think we're seriously scah-rood washing machine and laundry-wise and smelly very wet cloth diaper-wise.

Of course this had to happen: (a) when I was washing diapers; not when I was washing regular clothes with no poop adhered to them and (b) during a time when I am trying not to spend any money. Yes, I do note that I haven't mentioned that little project since I first announced it and that could be because I'm not being as strict with myself as I should be see Exhibit A bag full of new yarn upstairs, $10 baby doll bought for Hope today, little shopping at Ikea last week.

John is currently asking for the manual. This could get worse before it gets better.