When our microwave crapped out on us two months ago, we sort of shrugged our shoulders.
“No big deal,” we said. “How much do we really use a microwave anyway?” Well. The answer, it turns out, is a lot. Reheating leftovers, of course. Which we managed to do on the stove or in the oven, but not very efficiently. Baking potatoes. Cooking oatmeal and other frozen foods. Defrosting meat. At one point on Thanksgiving day, Tara found a creative way to melt butter since all the stove burners and pots were in use.
Hey, it worked.
Needless to say, we missed having a microwave. So when Karl’s Appliance called to let me know it was ready, I was elated. But then the installer was so backed up, it was another two weeks before he could get out here. We scheduled the delivery for Friday, December 10, between 8 and 9 a.m.
When Friday, December 10 dawned, we woke up to this:
And I just knew, with the snow falling steadily and a half-foot on the ground already, that the delivery wasn’t going to happen.
Sure enough, Bill The Installer called around 8:30. Asked if he could reschedule because his van was a front-wheel drive and he didn’t want to get stuck. We live on a hill, and the unplowed road was slick AF, so I didn’t blame the guy. I was afraid he’d pick a date another two weeks out, but fortunately, he was willing to come out Saturday morning at the same time.
Whew.
I’d made special arrangements to work from home in the morning, and with the weather doing what it was, that at least proved fortuitous. We ended up with 7″ of much-needed snow, and it sure was beautiful.
We even got to break out the snow blower. Twice. As you might recall, that too had gone on the fritz after we failed to empty the tank of gas two winters ago, so I’m glad we got that all tuned up in September. She started right up and it didn’t take long to remember how much easier it is removing snow with a snow blower versus a shovel.
I asked my manager if I could just work from home through lunchtime and come in afterward and she was fine with that. Which worked out well, as it gave the plows time to work their magic on the main arterials. The commute wasn’t entirely drama-free; I passed a jack-knifed semi on one stretch, and it was still awfully slippery. But my Kona handles these conditions well and I made it to work without incident.
And then, from my office window, I watched the clouds begin to part just in time for a gorgeous sunset.
I can’t say it enough: I really, really like working where I do.
Came home, got a fire going in the basement, and we watched a couple of Christmas movies. Tara picked up a Papa Murphy’s pizza. It was a great evening.
BTI got here bright and early, and the first words out of his mouth were, “How am I supposed to get the old microwave out?”
I was hoping this was a rhetorical question, because I’m no carpenter. Aren’t you the expert, BTI? He wasn’t sure how to pop off the wood panel above the old microwave to access the brace that secures it in place above the stove. I didn’t even know there was a brace the microwave was mounted to, so I sure as hell didn’t have an answer for him.
But he figured it out. And then spent the next four hours grunting and groaning and occasionally cussing as he installed both the microwave and dishwasher. If he thought the wood panel above the microwave was problematic, things went further downhill when he got to the dishwasher. The contractors who laid down our bamboo flooring when we first bought the house didn’t bother to cut out the existing flooring beneath the counters to make it level, as they should have, but instead took the easy route and just put the new floor on top of the old. Which made squeezing in the dishwasher a real pain in the ass for BTI. I felt bad for the guy; he definitely earned his fee (and tip) today. Hell, we should have made him breakfast and a couple of Bloody Marys for all his trouble.
But finally, finally, he got it all set up. And now, not only do we have a working microwave, but four all-new matching stainless steel appliances. In one fell swoop, we’ve modernized our kitchen! I like to think Doris would approve, but then again, the old gal had carpet on the kitchen floor and some pretty hideous wallpaper, so who knows.
Today is Tara’s bank’s Christmas party. Dinner at the Loud American Roadhouse in Sturgis this evening. There was also a bowling event earlier in the afternoon, but because the appliances took so long, we had to bag that. In any case, knowing that beer and bourbon will be involved, I suggested we get a room and stay overnight, so that’s what we’re doing. Should be a pretty good time.
Mark My Words 
Leave a reply to Rivergirl Cancel reply