Tuesday, October 13, 2009

The one titled 'Non-perishable.'


The puddle on my kitchen floor kept growing and growing.

The kids thought Christmas came early to the back of our freezer. “Snow. It’s snow.” Jax said.


Five bath towels and two days later the glacier in my freezer is gone.

I’m hoping for a week of worry-free cooling bliss. A week where I don’t have to use frozen pureed tomatoes to keep my goat’s milk cold. A week where I don’t have to take the temperature of my food like it was a sick child, hoping it’s internal temperature is just right.
The repairman will be coming in a week for his 4th visit. We’re getting quite well acquainted at this point.

A month ago I noticed my normally icy cold milk was a bit tepid. Mmmm? I opened the freezer. Bags of hamburger were squishy and crunchy with melting shards of ice.
 
Hold on. (I’m baking sweet potato oatmeal chocolate chip cookies; the secret is not the potato but the duck eggs. Cookies...no refrigeration required. Good for emergency fridge breakdowns. We’re having cookies for dinner. Don’t judge me.)

Ok back to the great thaw.

I called Sears.  I was sweet as honey on the phone. Honey is the best way to get what you want if you are a woman and you live in the south. I’m not being sexist, just a practical housewife with a fridge on the fritz. They said the repairman only came ‘up my way’ once a week. Thursday.

Fine. Fine.

He comes. “You need a new thermostat.” He says.

“Ok, I say. How much?”

“$258.98” He says.

Gulp. “Ok.” My hand shook a little as I was writing out the check.

“I don’t have the part with me. I’ll be back next Thursday.” He said.

Thursday.

I can survive until Thursday. Cinnamon rolls and candy caramels. All nonperishable. I will survive.

The part was installed. The milk was still tepid. There’s nothing less appetizing than tepid milk. Even sweet goat’s milk, not so tasty at room temperature. We had fries for dinner. The kids thought they’d won the lottery.

I called. “He’ll be back out on Thursday, ma’m. I’m sorry ma’m.” Sears said.

Thursday.

“It’ll be $123 to fix the automatic defrost. The other technician should have noticed this glacier here. If you defrost it, it may work for a few days.”

“I have to pay again even though the first guy didn’t fix it?”

“I don’t know you’ll have to call.”

15 calls, 3 hours, and 5 days later.  (I repeated my name address and phone number over and over and over again. Each time I got put on hold, or transferred, or told I would be called. I wasn’t called. I had to call and call and call.)

“Oh, that’s right you don’t have to pay since it’s been less than 90 days since the first repair.”

“Why didn’t they tell me that the first time I called!!!!” I asked. (I ran out of honey after the 11th call.)

“… “

Sigh. “So I guess the technician will come out an fix it.” I said.

“The technician will be there next Thursday.” Sears said.

Thursday.

I think homemade cinnamon raisin bagels are on the menu for tomorrow night. Don’t judge me. They’re non-perishable.



(Wyatt with chocolate on his lip from tonight's cookies. The photo is blurry, but it will last forever. It's non-perishable.)

Visit Fruit of the Carolyn for more tales of goats, children, duck eggs, cookies, autism, a pesky raven, my love affair with my husband, and the magic of every day. I promise to make a mistake in every post and I promise that poo will be mentioned frequently.

6 comments:

brokenteepee said...

I would have lost my honey long before you did, uhm, honey.

Emmy said...

That really sucks! Good thing you didn't have to pay again or it would have almost been cheaper just to buy a new fridge.
And hey, if the fridge isn't working you are allowed to feed your kids whatever you want :)

Victoria said...

Okay, so I have never ever heard of sweet potato oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Suddenly I feel bland and unimaginative!

One summer as a kid, we lived in a little shack with no refrigerator for a couple of weeks. We were not down on our luck, or anything... it was just that my dad was building our "dream house" and our tract home sale closed a couple of weeks before we could move in. So a friend had this "shack" on their property. Boards, no insulation... couple of bedrooms, and a clawfoot bathtub right in the kitchen/common area. But the best part was this creek that ran right through the tall grass in the middle of the property. My mom would keep milk cool in that creek (not to mention US, when we all managed to get chicken pox that summer). Fresh mint grew all over right by that stream, and wild blackberry brambles all around it, and as kids we thought it was pretty much perfect... like we had borrowed a page out of "Little House in the Prairie." As an adult, I feel confident now that my mom did not enjoy that much summer as much as we did... nor does she remember it as idyllic.

I like how you manage to keep your honey about you in this situation. Your fridge hands you soggy hamburger, and you make cinnamon raisin bagels and candy caramels. Why? Because they're non-perishable. You are a pioneer woman.

alpinekleins said...

Yes, I've had experience with a few vehicles over the years that I could express similar tales about. But I could never share all the details in such a way as to make them the least bit interesting! A great guest post:)

Kristin

Anonymous said...

I considered using the creek as refrigeration...

Your summer does sound fun, it amazing how the most difficult situations make for the best memories.

Thank you again for letting me guest post.

Cranberryfries said...

Repair guys who dont know how to repair. Blah. I wouldn't have judged ya Carolyn even if you had cookies for dinner when your fridge was working. :)