But Mr. Chavez, Is This Not Your Signature?

Chris and I were excited when we found an apartment in San Antonio with a washer and dryer connection. We were tired of scrounging for quarters every time we wanted, or rather needed, to do laundry.

The dedicated washer and dryer space in our new apartment is tiny, almost too tiny for any washer and dryer that exists. After realizing that the compact model our space necessitated would cost at least $1,500, Chris turned to craigslist. Success came in the form of a compact, Bosch combo purchased for $300.

First of all, do not be deceived by the tiny size of a compact washing machine. Although tiny, it still weighs more than a car; no, more than a dinosaur. Many grunts were uttered and heated words were exchanged while moving this machine from one spot to another. And just why were we moving this machine so much? Well, because it was missing a foot, because we had to replace the plug, and because Chris had to design and build a custom anti-topple device for stacking. My poor toothpick arms...

After all this trouble, the washing machine had to work. There was no alternative. We had expended too much time and energy to face the fact that did our machines not work, everything hinged on the validity of one Hugo Chavez.

You see, when Chris purchased the washer and dryer out of a home-garage-turned-used-appliance-store, he insisted on getting the verbal 60-day warranty in writing. I admire him for this forward thinking. Unfortunately, the 3x5 card on which this agreement was written reads as follows:

Bosch washer dryer set $300 comes with a 60 day warranty on all parts and labor as of 10.8.10.

[signed] Hugo Chavez; Chris Sias.

That's right, if our washer and dryer did not work, our only recourse was to ask Hugo Chavez to honor his word.

And so, it was with great trepidation that we made our first attempt to do laundry in our $300, compact but oh so heavy, Hugo Chavez certified washer and dryer. I am more than happy to report that the machines did not let us down. We have clean clothes. We have an empty laundry basket. And we have a souvenir warranty from Hugo Chavez.