Monthly Archives: July 2023

The Year of the Broken Machines

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It all started with the washing machine. Five years old. No warranty. Built to fail. Repairs cost more than replacement.  We now have a new washing machine. Same as the old one.

            Then the hot-tub breaker kept tripping. I bought a new 40A GFI breaker. Same thing. The heater needed replacing since it was the culprit that tripped the breaker. Then the tub started leaking. A substantial leak, maybe 50 litres per day. I tried the magic ‘Fix a leak’ solution. No luck. I ignored the leak and refilled the tub every few days. I eventually let it drain, figuring that when the leaking stopped, I could pinpoint the culprit jet and seal it with silicone. Or not. The water kept leaking until it was four inches from the bottom. Then it stopped. The leak is at the very bottom of the tub. Good to know. I’ll deal with it later, maybe in the fall.

            Minor pieces of household machinery overheated or just quit working. First the iron. No big deal. We ordered a new one from Amazon. It arrived within days. Then the blender gave up the ghost. It felt awfully hot to the touch and just didn’t want to blend any more. Same procedure. Order on line, pay by card and the new mixer arrived within days. Like magic. Just click and pay.

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SNAFU

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            We’re in the midst of the endless summer it seems. No rain for weeks and none in the forecast. Vicky has kindly kept our spot reserved and I sat down grateful for the shady corner. When Camp walked in, I first didn’t recognize him I’ve never seen him in shorts. His pasty, spindly legs could use some exposure I thought but didn’t say anything. 

            ‘Over 900 wildfires burning in Canada,’ I said, ‘and over 350 of them in BC. Is this a state of emergency?’

            ‘It’s snafu,’ Camp said. ‘Situation normal, all fucked up.’

            ‘I read that the CAF are providing two CH-146 Griffon Helicopters and, if needed, a CC-130J Hercules from the Royal Canadian Air Force, to help with the logistics of fighting all these fires.’

‘So far, most of them are in the central and northern parts of the province but the continued hot weather does not bode well for the rest of the summer,’ Camp said, shaking his head of grey curls. 

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THE RISE OF THE RIGHT

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I’ve been over this theme before with Camp but it refuses to go away. No matter where I look, I read about massive Trump rallies or about a new and conservative rich women’s group calling themselves the ‘Mothers of Victory’ or I watch with dismay the destructive rampage in France or I shake my head at the recent Supreme Court decisions, rolling back decades of liberal decisions, taking away protection for minorities. 

Camp was already quaffing his first pint. ‘Must be slow at the book store that you’re here already,’ I said, sitting down.

            ‘I’ve got summer help, an eager student who loves books. She would work for free just to be in the book store.’

            ‘You’re paying her I hope.’

            ‘Of course, I’m not a slave owner.’

            ‘Did you hear that our former prime minister, Stephen Harper, was in Budapest cosying up to Viktor Orbán, to discuss strengthening the collaboration of right-wing parties?  Orbán has also called on Ukraine to concede to Russia, saying Kyiv cannot win the war,’ I said after Vicky brought me some liquid relief.

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