Note to Self:

The next time there is a freeze PLEASE remember to either NOT do laundry or to hang the drain hose out the window first.

Apparently I did not remember the geyser I created in my laundry room last winter when the draining water was forced back inside by ice in the hose. Nope. I had to repeat the scenario.

Unfortunately, this time I did not hear the spraying water, thereby interrupting the event. Instead I came down in the dark, around 10:00 p.m., to put clothes into the dryer. As I approached the closed laundry room door I stepped in a large puddle of freezing water. My first thought was, "What in the world?" Then it dawned on me. My washer had just sprayed two tubs full of water all over my laundry room and it's contents (wash and rinse cycle). And I do mean sprayed - items on top of the dryer were soaked, as were my baskets of nice clean, folded laundry. The water leaked out of the laundry room into the garage. It flooded the other way too - into the hallway, under the fridge (which was uphill - bizarre) and into a closet.

After completely soaking 10 towels and not even making a DENT - Allen wisely spied the steam cleaner and got the situation under control.

So...Self: Please don't forget next time. It is not my favorite way to spend the evening.

P.S. For those who are puzzled...we vented our washer to our garden so it does not drain into our septic in a closed system. - And the above-ground pipes can freeze.