When the Dancing Stopped

A factory authorized repairman came to look at our dancing washing machine. He opened the back, removed three hard blocks of plastic, and handed us a bill for repairs. The machine was not meant to operate with the shipping blocks in place. They were only meant to keep the drum from getting damaged during delivery. The people that installed the washing machine didn't know to look for something inside that kept it from operating properly.

We've had hundreds of people view our video on YouTube showing our washing machine jumping, dancing and I'm sure, making the neighbors below us wonder what in the world all the noise was about.

Here's my take on it - when there's something inside that shouldn't be - life doesn't go well.

Going home.

For 2009, the very end of January through the first of February is Chinese New Year. It changes each year depending on the new moon. Without question it is the biggest holiday in China. It is a time of celebrating family, the past and the future. Millions of people return (if possible) to the home of their birth. For one week industry shuts down to allow families to come together and embrace their family heritage.

On New Year's Eve, it feels like all of Shanghai sets off fireworks from sundown until the early morning hours. Apparently there are no restrictions on where fireworks can be launched since someone even set them off on top of our apartment building!

On New Year's day, Deb and I flew home to Oklahoma to visit the kids, grandkids, and to see the newest additions to our family - Piper and Riley, twin girls born to our daughter, Jennifer and our son-in-law, Judd.



Our American culture may be different from that of China, but regardless of where you live, families are worth celebrating. Yes?