Close encounters of the ignorant kind.

I finished loading up the dishwasher and turned the switch. Nothing but a very disturbing hum ensues.

It's bad enough the washer didn't work, but for a few minutes I wondered what in the world I was going to do with all the dirty dishes and no dishwasher. Now I never had a dishwasher in my life till I was over fifty, but some how I managed to forget, I could do them by hand. Anyway I jiggle the hoses shut off and turn on the water, check to see if the electric plug is still where it should be. Even check the water heater. Nothing seems to be wrong, but the dishwasher doesn't work.

Then I took drastic measures, I pulled the hand-wash dish soap out (yes, I have the stuff and still forgot I could do the dishes by hand!). I'm about to squirt it in the sink when I give the dishwasher one more chance. No doubt frightened for its existence the dishwasher dutifully decided to work. I still don't know what was wrong. A flakey switch, bad water pressure? Who knows.