A Long-Awaited Delivery

Last December, our refrigerator started making funny noises. At first, we thought it was the puppy, because it was a series of little squeals. After a while we figured out that the fridge squealed three times whenever the motor inside started up. Over time, the three squeals became four, then five, and we became more worried. What would we do if the fridge conked out completely!

Ron was all for ordering a new one. I thought that would be wasteful, so we called a repairman. One new motor thingy and $200 later, the repairman was gone and the squeal was back. Okay, time for a new fridge. In early January we searched online and found the same model in various places. We opted for the one from Home Depot because surely they would be able to overcome any supply chain issues. The delivery date on the website was a week from the day we ordered.

Then came the first phone call. Our delivery date was pushed forward to the last week of January. The squealing was getting worse, but what could we do? Then a second call. Now the delivery date was mid-March. Aack! We crossed our fingers and made plans to evacuate the contents of the fridge to the downstairs freezer, the bar fridge, and  the trunk of the car if necessary.

The big day finally arrived and a truck rolled up with our new appliance. Getting the old one out and the new one in was going to be a problem. I didn't remember any trouble when the old one arrived, but it seemed that our doorways were suddenly too small. The fridge doors were removed, and with much twisting and turning, the new one finally came in and the old one was taken out to the truck. 

"While the doors are off," I said to one of the delivery guys, "Can you switch them so they open the other way?" The fridge is in a corner so opening on the left side was a problem. The man grumbled about it being hard work, checked our order (yes, I had paid for the doors to be switched), and spent the next hour working on the doors. He didn't have the right tools but we supplied him with what he needed, and the job was finally done.

It tool us an hour to strip all the protective plastic off the mummified fridge, but when we were done and the fridge was working, we loaded it up with our perishables and heaved a sigh of relief. I must say it's a big improvement over the old one, although they look pretty much the same. It doesn't squeal, the shelves are arranged so there is room enough to stand milk cartons upright, and it doesn't freeze the lettuce or turn the celery brown. It is also deeper so there's more room inside. Our kitchen is functional once more, unlike the ones below. What were the designers thinking?

 

Glory to Ukraine