Friday Ketchup No. 2

Folks,

When hubs first announced that he had bought a dish washing machine, I was a bit apprehensive as he had tried to talk me into buying one over the years. Many, many times and I was never keen. I just couldn't believe a machine could wash the dishes like a human could.

Once the machine was delivered, I started coming round and even looked forward to trying it out. It was bigger than my clothes washing machine and being such mountain tortoises, both of us dared not use it. We waited for the demo lady to arrive. And I let the dirty dishes pile up. By the time she came to my home, I had a weekend's worth of dirty dishes.

It turned out the dishwasher is not too hard to use. The only issue I had was how to arrange the dishes in the best way so they get really clean. Then we realised we did not have the special detergent needed. We were given a few sample tablets but these were for the super oily stuff.  And still I refused to give in and let the dishwasher win. And I carried on letting the dirty dishes pile up. I mean, who washes by hand when you have a brand new dishwasher sitting in the laundry room? (yes, I have a laundry room)

One morning I needed to drink some water and there were no clean cups and glasses anywhere to be found and let me tell you, we have a lot of cups and glasses. (because idiot McDonald's kept giving us free glasses) So I had to drink from a bowl. Not a small tiny bowl that could pass off as a cup but a big bowl. I think that was my lowest point this week.

It took us a few days to finally find a supermarket that stocked the special detergent.

One morning I woke up and I saw the detergent on the dining table and I swear I felt as happy as when I received my yellow roses. I had a ton load of dirty dishes to wash!

This was my first load. I pressed the start button and more than an hour later, it was all over. I think I was too eager to see the results and opened the door too soon after the cycle was over. Because when I opened the door my face was hit by steam!

Anyhoos...

My life is changed. Forever.

The dishwasher is the best invention on earth. If I could go back in time, I would go back to the exact moment when hubs and I first lived in our own flat which was a rental flat with 2 holes in the ceiling and sometimes bats came. That was when we cooked a few times a week and although we agreed to take turns to do the dishes, he often forgot and we had to throw away at least one frying pan and a few plates. We were that lazy. Yes, I would go back to that moment and buy a dish washing machine. And when that one breaks down, I would buy a replacement.

I have to say this. Hubs is right again. He said a dishwasher would solve our dish washing problems and I never listened to him. I have no idea why I was so resistant. And I'm someone who hates to wash the dishes. Over the years, how irritable and annoyed I had been often over doing the dishes.

Yesterday I cooked to test out how well the machine cleans my wok, frying pan and big pots. My god. Super mother&$#@#% clean. 100 marks. Did I say my life is changed? Forever? Can I go back in time? Please? My only regret? We did not buy the really giant industrial sized dishwasher because if I could I would just load my fridge in it and my kitchen cabinet and other stuff that needs cleaning!

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I think one of the reasons I was resistant to buying a dishwasher was the cost. They are priced ridiculously high in Singapore - way more than clothes washing machine. I suppose it's due to low demand. Then fate intervened.

Some time in Feb, hubs won an award for the newspaper he works for.

He won Headline of the Year (see pic above) - Teach, Prey, Love? and received some money. And the money is just enough to pay for the dishwasher! So you could say the headline paid for our dishwasher.

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A few days ago hubs took me to see G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra  G.I. Joe: Retaliation (thanks for the correction hubs! so...you do read my blog!) on the government's money. He was sent some vouchers for having served National Service and someone in the government kindly included cinemas in the scheme. It's not a bad movie but not great either although hubs loved it. All the big stars are there and I mean BIG. Have you seen the rock?

Anyway, after the movie we had lunch and then I went to the library while hubs checked out the supermarket for that magic detergent for our dishwasher. When we met up later, hubs said the supermarket was under construction and he had also purchased a pair of glasses so we had to wait around. Anyway, he wanted me to buy a pair of glasses for myself (on sale) and as I was trying each pair looking at him for his stamp of approval, I saw something black in his teeth and I was going to say something when the salesperson spoke to us. Anyway he didn't like any of the glasses on me face so I did not get any. Then he had to go upstairs to collect his new spectacles and while he was talking to me, I really saw something black in his teeth and I really wanted to call out to him:

YOU HAVE SOMETHING BLACK IN YOUR TEETH.

But I didn't. So he went up and I supposed he spoke to a few people, flashed his big smile and the something black in his teeth. Meanwhile I was downstairs waiting for him and trying not to laugh thinking of that something black in his teeth.

Here, you see for yourself. I know my drawing of hubs doesn't really look like him but it's the best I can do.

Finally, on the way home on the train, I pretended it was the first time I saw something black in his teeth and got him to remove it. Anyway, maybe I did let the black thing sit on his teeth for a while because I was annoyed that I saw him smiling broadly at the lady selling ham the other day. Haha.

* * *

I have some updates on my craft markets. It is quite frightening. To me. I have like 6 weekends of craft market to prepare for. The earliest is on the first weekend of May and I am so not prepared. I don't know why I am not producing more bags. Someone needs to kick me in the butt. Today I got a little scared and decided to make a couple of boxy pouches. I haven't made any for ages.

I learned a big lesson from last Christmas. I won't make so many of the same kind as that will lead to a burnout. So I couldn't bring myself to make another same boxy pouch.

Instead I made a boxy bag.

Check out the ribbon tab!

This is a pattern I had been working on last year and never got around to work further on it.

Speaking of patterns, I have adjusted the prices of all my bag patterns. I hope no one minds! I rounded everything up so at most the increase is 10 cents.

Sales of my new bag pattern, Easy Sling Bag Pattern has been quite pathetic. I only sold 1 and it's to a regular customer. I'm not exactly new to this selling thing so I know things change and sales will pick up in future. Even saying that, I feel I am lying to myself.

SO! To rectify that, I'm offering you guys a surprise coupon at my Etsy shop. The coupon code is EASY20. This means you get a 20% discount. I will keep this coupon active for 1 week.