It's me again! Thanks to everyone for the advice on the stove cord.
I'll have to hit up an electrical supply or hardware store this weekend
(holiday closures permitting) and do it *right*.

In the meantime, in the laundry room (which is its own source of
frustration- stay tuned and I'll abuse you folks with that story soon
enough) I believe we're detecting a semi-pungent 'sewer gas' type
aroma. It's not thick and heavy, but enough to notice. *My* nose
doesn't work very well, and at first i thought it was the new carpet we
put in several rooms- the new carpet smells weird compared to what I
remember carpet smelling like and it stunk up the whole house for
awhile after it was installed.

So anyways, the bathroom is upstairs in this house. The bathroom area
is 'partitioned' with a small wall and thus creates a "laundry room".
The washer drain goes into a piece of PVC pipe that has been routed
thru the partition wall, behind the toilet, and into a 6" or so
vertical vent pipe in the corner. I realize that pictures would be
worth a thousand words right now, but I haven't unpacked a camera yet.
So, if it is sewer gas and not the carpet i'm smelling, should I:

1) put a trap in the PVC (it has none) and buy some beer
2) put some sort of one-way check valve in the PVC and buy some beer
3) duct tape or otherwise seal the hose into the PVC and buy some beer
4) buy some votive candles and beer.

This sewer gas type smell doesn't *appear* to be coming from anywhere
else- i just sniffed around for awhile and right behind the washer is
where it's the worst. Is there a way to positively test for gas
backup? Once or twice I thought I smelled something foul by the
kitchen sink, but who knows what dangers lurk in the rancid bowels of a
sink....For all I know, since the house sat unused for months the water
in the trap could have evaporated out of it and let some gas out, but
now that we've used the sink it's fine.

That's for another day and different beer...

Thanks in advance for any and all....