Appliances – The Upgrade – Part 2

Our new appliances were delivered. The young man who was the ‘lead person’ of the two-man team came in first to scope out the location for each item. The first bad news was that the installation I had already paid for on the dishwasher couldn’t be done unless said dishwasher was connected directly to the kitchen sink. Ours has a separate hook-up that comes through the floor. “Your money will be refunded” the young man told me.

The next disappointment was that the water line to the refrigerator had to be a certain type before they could install. Ours wasn’t that type. The refrigerator was installed, sans water to the ice-maker. I was becoming a bit angry, but kept my cool. I kept wondering what problems they would find with the washer and dryer that would enable them to leave me stranded there, too.

Luckily for them (I was in ‘hurt them’ mode) the washer and dryer connections met their approval and those items were installed and ready to use in short order.

Still, I was stuck with a dishwasher (still in the box) sitting in my living room and a refrigerator without a working ice maker.

Enter my hero, my grandson-in-law.

A call to my granddaughter resulted in his being roped into helping volunteering to help. They came up the next day and soon the refrigerator was making ice and the dishwasher was ready for its first load of dishes. He even did a few extra chores that needed a man’s touch while they were here.

The box from the dishwasher made an excellent toy for my two great-granddaughters. With a door cut for them by their mom and a box of sidewalk chalk to ‘paint’ their new “club house” they were busy for hours.

Now that I’ve been using the new appliances for a week I can report that all are working great. I am very pleased with their performance and ease of use. The side-by-side refrigerator is making life much easier for my husband. Being in a wheelchair the freezer in the old unit was hard for him to access for microwaveable snacks or ice. He is very happy to have such things within easy reach.

One week into the adventure of new appliances, we are happy and pleased with our choices.

Now I need to decide what color to paint the kitchen. It looks pretty ragged with new stuff in there.

Appliances 2.0 – the Upgrade

My dishwasher gave up the ghost 6 years ago. My husband suggested we replace it on the day it died, but I assured him I didn’t mind hand washing dishes. I’ve done so ever since.

My dryer died last Sunday. It was full of half-dry laundry and another load was awaiting its turn in the washing machine. Said dryer is several months younger than the washer. Both are 22 years old.

The half-dry laundry was spread through the house on available surfaces to finish drying and the wet load (jeans and sweats) were hung over the deck railing to dry. With the immediate crisis under control, we sat down to discuss options.

“I’ll put up a clothes line”, I suggested.

“The washer won’t last much longer either.” My husband countered.

That was true and as we were talking we remembered the advanced age and deteriorating condition of our refrigerator.

I was stalling. I didn’t want to purchase major appliances. Not right now.

My husband did. His arguments made sense.

“You are 60 years old”, he said. “You need to be making things easier on yourself instead of harder. You need a dishwasher too. It kills your back to stand there washing dishes, doesn’t it? The refrigerator won’t last much longer, we both know it. Why not do it all at once?”

Eventually I gave in.

The order was placed.

Blog Anniversary in 3, 2, 1…..

As of today this blog has been in existence for 3 years.

Three years!! Wow!!

My life has changed since I started blogging. Much of it wasn’t put in the blog, but some items are worth mentioning. I’m sure I’ll probably leave out something important.

In the last three years I have:

• Gotten much fatter in a direct response to a) Michelle Obama’s attempts to make me slim and trim and b) my turning into a computer addicted couch potato. (Mainly B)
• Rescued 2 elderly cats and cared for them until they passed away
• Had a young cat, who was born here, die of heart disease
• Reconnected with my sweet Granddaughter and developed a relationship with her, her husband and two daughters (Yes, Walks Alone is a great grandmother)
• Looked after my dear husband, who remains willing to put up with me
• Renewed my interest in sewing and knitting – things I learned to do while very young
• Decided I will never be able to retire
• Bought a Kindle Fire (I’m in love)
• Kept on keeping on

I wonder what the next three years, or even this year will bring?

Oh My!

It has been over a year since I posted to this blog!! I bet you (if any of you even stop by here anymore) have wondered if I’m still alive.

I am.

I wish I could tell you about a treasure trove of exciting events over the past year. Events that would justify neglecting a blog. Events so wonderful (or not) that they consumed my mind and actions to the neglect of all else.

I can’t.

I’ve been living my life. Quietly. Silently. How boring.

I take care of my husband and pets. I go to work and come home. I read till I go to sleep. I’ve been reading a lot. I’ve been listening to audio books while at my factory job. I watch a lot of Fox News Channel programming. I listen to podcasts by Mark Levin and Rush Limbaugh. Yes, my liberal friends, I’m one of those “right wing extremists.”

Somehow during this I became discouraged. I lost my voice. I withdrew. Hmmm, I got depressed. Maybe I got more depressed. I think I’ve been depressed to one degree or another all my life. It’s a natural state of being for me,

It is time to get over it though, so I’m reviving my blogs (yes, there’s more than one gathering dust from neglect).

Know what? Now that I’m actually thinking back over the past year, there are some blog posts in there, sandwiched in between the boring stuff. Yes, some are forming in my mind as I write.

Hang on, folks, I’ll be right back…