Too Late - Part Two

I pulled up in the driveway and hurried into the house. I wasn't sure what I would find. Miss Munchkin's phone call had certainly jump-started my morning, and my heart.

The sound of running water met me at the door, along with Miss Munchkin and the piercing scream of a fire-alarm.

I can't get it to stop!

Water was pouring out of our front-load washing machine at rather an alarming rate. Miss Munchkin had been using bowls and towels to catch it, but she was obviously loosing the battle. Not only was water coming out of the washer, it was still going in - trying to fill the barrel and complete its job.

I hit the power button and turned off the machine. The washer continued to fill. I wrenched the washer away from the wall and pulled the electric plug out of the socket. The washer kept filling with new water. And, of course, gushing out the old.

Empty the buckets! I called over the fire alarm. Do we have any more towels? Miss Munchkin scurried off.

I turned the handles that shut off the water supply to the machine. Finally! The washer stopped filling. By this time, the water level was half-way up the washing machine window, and still leaking out at a good clip.

I cleaned out the filter and waited for the water to empty the barrel. A few bowls and buckets later, I was finally able to open the door. There I discovered the problem. The rubber seal to the door was missing a chunk. A lovely *puppy bite-sized* chunk.

After mopping up as much water as I could, I hurried downstairs to our finished basement to see what I could do about the fire alarm. Miss Munchkin had spread a few towels and a couple of kitchen pitchers around to try and catch the water, which was dripping... through the fire alarm! I pulled up a chair and disconnected the protesting device. After one last watery warble, all was quiet. Finally!

The replacement seal for the washer door will take several days to arrive. So we are currently washerless. And entirely out of clean towels.