I opened the drier this morning, intending to check the clothing inside for dampness, and spotted my ATM card sticking up from the top of the lint vent. This happens to me a lot. Since my purse strap broke, I've gotten into the habit of putting my cards in my back pockets, which is all well and good until I forget they are in there and wash my pants. The signature on the back of my ATM card has been washed off now. So I reached into the opening and pulled on my ATM card, which came out pretty easily. Then there was a slithery sound and a faint clunk, and I hastened to pull the lint screen out.
The good news is that I found my BART card. It had $9.50 on it, so I was pretty upset about losing it. Just a dollar more and I can go round trip to SF. I'm glad I found it! But it was INSIDE the vent line, through the tiny little slot in which the vent screen fits. I tried everything to get it out. My hand does not fit in there! I tried a pair of pliers (too short) a pair of vice grips (still too short) and a long handled spatula (long enough, but no gripping power). I looked at the way the front of the drier fit on, realized I was running out of time, and decided not to attempt taking it apart. At that point, I got frustrated, and almost walked away, since it was only $10. I didn't need it right then. And then I saw the bad news.
The bad news is that I also found my driver's license, about 6" deeper inside the drier. Now, I know my hand didn't fit, but my first inclination (a stupid one) was to try to jamb my hand in there anyway. Then I tried the spatula again, and succeeded in driving my license deeper inside. Grr! Finally I got smart and looked at things logically. Since the front of the drier couldn't easily be removed, I examined the vent screen slot, made up of plastic parts. Those were only held on by 4 screws, and (in my search for the vice-grips) I had already located a screwdriver! Miracle of miracles, it was even a phillips head!
The really good news is 2 skinned knuckles and a bumped head later, my driver's license is now safely(?) in my back pocket with my ATM card, and I didn't even break the drier!
In other news, sorry I haven't written in so long (all of my loyal 2 lurkers). I've been spending every spare moment studying for my exam. 11 days to go. Hold your thumbs, cross your fingers, hang up a horseshoe, find a four leaf clover, carry a rabbits foot and wear green for me on March 18.
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