Port and Starboard

 

The only appliance left behind by this home’s previous owners (that we used) was the dishwasher. We replaced the broken silverware basket shortly after moving in, and then the wheels on the upper rack. A year after that, the door hinge snapped, and we needed to call in a repairman. Then, it simply refused to drain after washing a load of dishes. The repairman said it was a clogged filter, but it wasn’t. So, we ordered a new dishwasher, which took seven+ weeks to arrive. Seven weeks of washing every dish by hand taught me a lot. I learned one dishwasher load is roughly three sink loads of dishes, and the dishwasher uses far less water. I learned you’re a lot more likely to break glass tumblers and ceramic platters when you’re washing by hand. I learned dinner guests disappear when you fill the sink with soapy water. I learned cooking is lots less fun if it means washing up later.