My in-laws have come to visit! (YAY!) They arrived last night and we are all abuzz with excitement here at the Lepe household to have them! We learned that they would be coming back in September. Since then, all the projects that I'd been meaning to get to suddenly got kicked into high gear in preparation for their arrival. One of them was ordering a new dishwasher. The "new" one we bought just 3 & a half years ago turned out to not work after many fixings & tweakings; I decided I would rather just invest in a new one than sink any more money into that clunker.
Well, the brand-spankin' new one came yesterday (YAY!) and I am very proud to say that I installed it myself (YAY MORE!)!!!
I learned a few things.
I learned that not every new appliance comes with an electrical cord and dishwashers are one of them (this enables them to be hard-wired instead of plugged into an outlet). I had to connect a cord into the dishwasher's electrical box. Cool! (I took it off of the "old" washer.) This was a first for me!
Here's another thing I learned: even though it is required, not every part is provided in the box! When Peter left for the airport to pick up his parents, our 3 kids and I piled into my car and drove to Home Depot to buy a VERY necessary part - - - a 90 degree elbow fitting that connects the water supply hose to the machine. It only cost a few dollars but seriously, unless you're a plumber... who knew?!?!? And really, why not include it in the box?!?!?
And another thing I learned: when I take on a challenge, I don't want help. I want to do it all by myself. I want to have that feeling of accomplishment and the right to say, "I DID IT!!!" with no asterisks.
When Peter returned home with my in-laws, the dishwasher was not yet installed (I needed to adjust the legs & back wheels to slide under the counter better, so it was lying on its back) and my father-in-law graciously offered to help. Luckily for me, my father-in-law is one mighty nice, awesome man who is not offended by a daughter-in-law who, very much like a curious child, wants to do it all by herself. And even luckier for me, I have an amazing mother-in-law who had warned him before even landing in L.A. that he needed to let me do my own projects. Ha ha ha!
How truly thankful I am to have such loving and understanding family!
YIPPEE!!!! I DID IT!!!!!
But I have a confession to make...
Installing the dishwasher has taught me a few more things.
Even though I can say "I DID IT!" there IS an asterisk. Actually, more than one.
*I could not have done it so easily without the setup already in place (drain line to existing air gap, plumbing already plumbed, electrical outlet with correct voltage already in the wall, correct opening in the cabinet space, etc.). Our contractor & plumber made sure everything was good to go 3-1/2 years ago for the first dishwasher when we remodeled our house. Changing out the not-so-old with the new was easily accomplished because the connections were all up-to-date and still in excellent condition. So I owe Jason & Sam my thanks for making this easy for me. Thank you!
And here's another asterisk.
*My darling Peter and my fabulous father-in-law did not get in my way. They let me have at it without meddling or "helping". Thank you! (Special thanks to my mother-in-law and kids, too, for their part in giving me space!)
Next is the MOST important asterisk. I think I'll make it a double.
**My dad & mom. You see, much of the reason why I have the notion to fix things or DIY is because of my parents, especially my dad, who was always wanting to DIY repair rather than just buy or call a professional. Growing up, they had my siblings and me doing the stuff that needed to be done around the house, so the idea that I could fix, build, repair, and design-for-our-needs seeped into my head and is now a permanent part of who I am. Even when I was the truculent teenager resentful of having to help, my parents drilled in me that I could accomplish whatever I set my mind out to do and expected me to finish the task at hand.
So I guess you could say that there's one last thing I learned from installing a dishwasher for the first time and here it is:
Even though I am the only one who physically installed that beautiful dishwasher that is quietly washing my dishes as I type this, I did not REALLY do it ALLLLLL by myself.
The efforts of Jason & Sam before me paved the way; the support of my loving family gave me the space to try without guilt or hurt feelings; and my parents inspired me and shaped me into knowing that I can accomplish that which I set out to do.
I installed a dishwasher.
I DID IT!*,*,**
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