For some reason blogher isn't properly posting this blog today.  Please visit www.JenniferSuarez.com for if you have issues:

The connection to my web site was down last night (and this morning) because of my dishwasher. How can a dishwasher possibly effect a web site you ask? Well let me tell you what happened.

During our super fun but incredibly crazy weekend I think I did approximately, oh... a million loads of dishes. I know you are wondering why I didn't use paper plates and plastic forks, and the best answer I can give you is - I'm an idiot. So 3 meals a day, at least 11 people eating, 90-100 degree days with no AC - even my super amazing dishwasher (that I've loved since the day I first loaded in a lasagna caked pan and it came out SPARKLING - as if licked clean by angels with tongues made from cascade and spit made out of jet dry) had to reach it's breaking point.

When I tried to run it last night I pressed start and the poor thing simply blinked "air dry, air dry, air dry". Thinking it was somehow stuck in a cycle I hit cancel. Now it blinked "air dry, cancel, air dry, cancel" but it still did nothing. I let it sit for a few minutes hoping it would sort itself out, but 10 minutes later both buttons were still blinking. I opened the door and shut the door. "air dry, air dry, lock on, lock on, air dry" Hmm... well at least I got a new light to blink! Next I tried pressing a wash cycle. I pressed normal wash, but the quick rinse cycle button lit up instead, and then IT blinked too!! "air dry, quick rinse, lock, air dry, quick rinse, lock, air dry, quick rinse, lock " Now I had 3 buttons blinking at me! The damn thing was starting to look like a really tacky Christmas tree and it was really ticking me off.

OK FINE, I had it, I went to the fuse box. I would force the damn thing to reset. Of course when I got to the box there was no label for "dishwasher" so I had to do the whole flip and shout routine:

Jen: *flip* Is it still on?
Rudy: Yeah
Jen: *flip* How about now?
Rudy: It's still on
Jen: Hmm OK, let's try... *flip* NOW?
Rudy: *inaudible*
Jen: WHAT? It worked??
Rudy: NOOO I said NO that's NOT it!
Jen: *grumble* OK *flip*
Rudy: That's it! It's off!! You got it!
Jen: YES!

It's sort of like getting bingo when you finally flip the right switch isn't it? And that's why I've decided not to label them all... I like the excitement.

So even though I finally found the right switch, in the process of flipping a bunch of wrong switches, I accidentally flipped the fuse to the web server and knocked it off line. I didn't even realize it until I was at work this morning and couldn't fix it until lunch time.

So I got the right switch, I turned it off, and I wait a couple of minutes before flipping it back on. I walk back to the dishwasher and.... "air dry, air dry, air dry, air dry" DAMN IT!! It was time to resort to the internet. The internet was filled with lots of key codes and suggestions.

• Hold down the air dry button for 5 seconds - that didn't work.
• Shut off the power - already tried that, didn't work,
• Shut of the power for 30 minutes - gave it a try, didn't work
• Open the door and leave it open for 5 minutes to clear the memory - that sort of worked for a few seconds, but the dishwasher still wouldn't start and eventually the blinking lights came back.
• Open the door and then shut off the power - tried it and again this kind of worked but not enough to get it running again.
• Press air dry, santi-rinse, air-dry, santi-rinse 5 times in a row within 5 seconds - I couldn't help but to wonder if that was a BS post to try and get me to push buttons like crazy but I tried it anyway - and it didn't work
• Press air dry with another button and hold or press them back and forth in sequence - tried them all.
  I couldn't help but to feel like I was entering a cheat code into my dishwasher. Triangle-Square-X-X-RT1-RT2-Up-Down-Triangle.... RINSE CYCLE!!! - *music plays* YES!!!! Endless dishwasher detergent till the end of time!!!!!! SCORE!!!!! If only life really was like video games right? *sigh* - didn't work.
• If none of the key codes worked the next suggestion was to remove the kick pad from the bottom of the dishwasher and search for the service technicians sheet. Sometimes the right key codes are stashed in there. - Rudy removed it, no luck as no key codes were found.

At that point I gave up and went off to cry in despair while Rudy continued to work on it. About 5 minutes later I hear *SLAM!!!* and then,

Rudy: Honey!! I fixed the dishwasher!!
Jen: OMG Really!?! What was it? What key code finally worked??
Rudy: None of em. I just slammed the door shut really fu&king hard.
Jen: What?
Rudy: Well I figured the damn thing was already broke, why not give it a try? What harm could it do? Ha! It actually worked... see?

The dishwasher had the normal wash cycle selected, there were no more blinking lights, and yes it was running! After all that technical crap, after removing parts, after putting in key codes like a crazed teenage gamer - a good door slam was all it took.

**I'm not sure if it will work again next time or if it will pack it's bags and leave for the nearest Vera house. My husband actually had to resort to violence in order to get the dishes washed! And as bad as it is I couldn't help but to think of that horrible, horrible, poster:

I know it's one of those things you really shouldn't laugh at**, but when I think of it in this situation I just can't help myself. So sue me.

**Although I joke, domestic violence IS a serious matter. If you need help please visit http://www.ndvh.org/.