My point that life out in the country without power in case
of an ice storm didn't carry squat against the
washer/dryer combo that she had spotted on
sale. AND now we couldn't afford it.

You should've bought the internal-combustion powered Maytag :-). It'll
wash your clothes AND run when the power is out!

I think they made them up through the 60's, they still show up at farm
auctions etc.