Because Facebook doesn’t show all of our followers all of the awesomeness all of the time we have . . .
And Then What Happened:
Right before Christmas Ellen was lucky enough to bid adieu to this dinosaur.
Ellen: But I traded tiny loads and barely clean clothes for jeans and long sleeves that were twisted like Tasmanian Devils hopped up on cherry Kool-Aid. So I turned to our Facebook nation for some answers because reading manuals is for suckas.
There were lots of great suggestions, so I mashed them all together and this is what has worked for me.
I increased the water level (which still allows me to fill the washer completely with clothes), I decreased the spin speed, and I bought more of those mesh lingerie bags. I have always used those bags for our bras and delicates, but now I have enough to put our long sleeved button down shirts in, too. You may be sputtering that I’m ruining the whole HE thing by increasing the water level and spinning the clothes slower, but I contest that I can still wash in one cycle what use to be three separate loads and I can wash everything in cold because the machine performs so well.
We Threw Down The Soft Drink Gauntlet:
Ellen: Over 2,500 people saw this post and 138 chimed in with their opinions. We are glad that our followers gave this topic the attention it deserved. The map proved correct in OUR very unscientific poll. Seriously, who originally collected this data and took the time to make a map? I guess I could track it down, but I don’t have that kind of time. Finding funny stuff for our Facebook page is time suck enough.
There were some outliers: a couple people from the South reported they said soda water, a Massachusetts resident claimed tonic was the word, while a Pennsylvania transplant called it Liquid Satan, but was raised calling it soda in Massachusetts. Seems like that would deserve a little icon of hell fire, right? One rebel reported Scotch. Our favorite answer?
A friend from high school did shoot down my claim that we say “Coke” on the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland, but others from the area backed me up. Hey, look how garbled that map is in that area. I’m sticking to my claim there was a turquoise dot on my roof.
A couple of Yankees were perplexed by the Coke thing. How can you just say Coke when there are a bajillion different beverages out there?
Two scenarios explain it all. I didn’t say they made sense, but they explain it.
1. The Die Hard Coca-Cola Aficionado.
“I’ll have a Coke.” “Is Pepsi okay?” “I’ll just have water.”
2. The Coke As a Generic Name Perpetrator (Sort of like saying Kleenex for all tissues or here’s an oldie, saying Xerox to indicate you’re copying something on a machine.)
“I’ll have a coke.” “What kind?” “Root beer.”
You can check all of the results here because we will not be accused of hanging chads.
Recipes We Shared:
Yum. We make this easy crockpot meal every time we have a small army to feed. We have carted this Chicken Bar-B-Q from the mountains to the beach and everywhere in between. It is so good, so good you see.
Ecard People Loved:
Don’t know whether this says more about us or our readers that this one was such a huge hit.
Posts to Catch Up On:
Evil Joy Lurks Beneath the Surface of The Sisterhood
This is the one where we reveal the tiny little bit of evil joy we take when the other one loses their mind for a minute. Oh, and there’s a video that gives you a little behind-the-scenes look at The Sisterhood. It is so worth a look just for that. Honestly.
Mom Brain is Forever
You know the fuzzy brain you get from lack of sleep when you have a newborn? IT NEVER GOES AWAY. Hope that doesn’t make us Buzz Kill Moms, but we thought you should know and we even offer a couple of solutions.
Facebook Follow-Up #1
If you are looking for some extra reading material, you can always catch up on our Facebook goodies from last week. They were funny too, and because Facebook can be an evil overlord, you probably didn’t see those either.
Funny Photo:
Erin shared this one along with the fact that no cookie jar, candy jar, or sugar cereal would be safe in her house. Everyone who read it gave her a virtual fist bump. Truth, FB-style.
Thanks for this follow up. There’s no way in hell I catch everything in a given week. For instance, had I seen your SODA question I’d have gone rogue and told you we call it SODA in our house in MN (but I lived in TX as a kid and they do, indeed, call everything Coke). Thanks, girls. I feel caught up and can now move ahead with my weekend! 🙂
Michelle – You’re my favorite today. recently posted..Amazon shoppers of the world….COME TO ME.
Man, I’m glad you didn’t see this earlier! Your outlying data would have ruined the whole scientific premise! 😉 Ellen
How did I miss the front loader washer tips? I have had one for 5 years now …and now I know the secret! Thank goodness for the FB follow up Friday!!
The Dose of Reality recently posted..Never Let Anyone Steal Your Sparkle
Just to be clear my washer is a HE TOP LOADING model. They make those now and it eliminates the whole smelly gasket problem. Ellen
I am from MA and heard my fair share of people ordering “tonic” over the years. BUt they were from a particular part of MA. The rest of us say soda.
Imagine my surprised when I went to college in the south and everything was a coke. Do you want any coke? Sure, I’ll have a Sprite. WHAT?????
And as for the front load washer, I used to fill that thing so full because they told me to and after I destroyed the gasket and had to get it replaced because there were too many clothes spinning too fast, they ruined my laundry room by putting the gasket in backwards. The water shot out all over the room and destroyed the walls and floor. Very exciting. I’ve had to replace the barrel, which is bascially the whole machine internally, twice. Both times under warranty. And both times, inexplicable. This guy finally told me to try a few less pieces of clothing. It seems to be making everything happier. There has been much less shredding of the clothes. We’ve lost some great pieces due to the washer eating them. Long story short, the front loader sounds like manna from heaven but it has more limitations than they let on about!
sparkling74 recently posted..Updo, Updown, At Least Make It Pretty
That’s why I got the top loader HE washer!! Takes away the whole gasket issue! Ellen
Always fun to catch up on your awesome stuff!! 🙂
Chris Carter recently posted..February Friend #6
Thanks!
I have so many washing machine woes I don’t even know where to start. So at the very least- you are always going to be better off than the girl who can’t understand the cycles on her machine so just sticks to the first one. Even if it’s wrong.