Day 246: It figures...

It's that time of year again.  A changing of the seasons.  No, I'm not talking about the capital offense of wearing white after Labor Day or sending the inmates back to school or even the first hint of a Christmas commercial.  I'm talking about that time of year when, once again, you think you'll be able to plan and budget for upcoming events only to have them blown out of the water before the ink is dry on your master plan.  No sooner am I thinking of how I can budget for upcoming birthdays and holiday celebrations that the unthinkable happens.  I'm talking, of course, about the dreaded unforeseen expense.  For some it's the replacement of a transmission or worn out breaks.  Maybe it's the small fortune on school supplies or a new water heater.  For me it was the clothes dryer.  The first telltale sign of trouble game from the long, labored hum before the dryer actually kicked in.  Yesterday there was no "kicking in" after the hum.  Instead there was a gentle click followed by a slight burning smell and then nothing.  Flatline.  DOA.  So off to Best Buy we went, Rewards Card and certificate in hand with hopes of striking a deal.  Even though I do most of the laundry my laundering needs are few.  Make the clothes clean and dry.  That's about it.  Having the need to link my iPhone to my washer or dryer borders on the obsessive.  And I don't need any special ringtones or chimes to tell me the dryer is done.  Well, unless it's Joan Holloway's voice saying, "I'm ready for you, Mr. Jack."  Well ok, I do need that...