Just 5 Moores: Happy Mother's Day to Me...

I know-I know, my title sounds a bit self-serving...

...but here's the story behind it.

As fortune would have it, our old refrigerator (that we bought when we bought the house 13 years ago) decided to give up the ghost. We kind of were expecting it. The ice maker/water dispenser had gone 'kapoot' about five years ago. It was missing a couple of shelves in the refrigerator and a couple in the freezer (it was a side-by-side model). It leaked water from out of the bottom of it somewhere. And at least once a month we'd have to turn it off and thaw it out because the fan in the freezer would freeze over and make a loud racheting sound - not fun when you wake up to that at 2:00 a.m. This time the compressor gave out. So it was time to look for a new model.

I had in my minds eye the kind of refrigerator I wanted. Of course it would be top-of-the-line, stainless steel, french-door with a freezer drawer. I figured that wasn't going to happen - those things cost a lotta-dollah! We'd have to sell our first-born to afford one. So we started looking around for refrigerators on Craigslist, just to see what was out there in the line of used refrigerators that would be more in our price-range. After just a few clicks, behold.... (cue rays of light and angels singing)... my dream refrigerator was on my computer screen and it was a fraction of the price for a new one. The only kicker was it was in Spokane at a second-hand/ding&dent appliance center, and we'd have to haul it home. Tom decided that we might as well go take a look at it and if we didn't like it, we could always get a more affordable new refrigerator at one of the local stores. So we decided to go for it.

When Winston caught whiff of an appliance shopping adventure, the mechanically-curious boy decided he wanted to tag a long. I was not sure that would be a good idea. Here is a kid that gets over-stimulated by florescent lights in Costco. I couldn't imagine what being in a store loaded with assorted machines would do to him - and I didn't know if I had the patience to deal with it. But he was so cute, pleading with his little 'please let me go, Mom' blue eyes. So I relented. Boy, should I have gone with my first conviction. Let me just say we survived the experience. Barely. The minute we walked in the door of the store he was opening up doors, turning knobs and pulling out drawers on refrigerators, dishwashers, washer/dryer combos... and talking a mile-a-minute. Sometimes he makes me crazy.

After perusing all the store had to offer, and going back time and again to the refrigerator we had come to see (which was priced even less than was advertised, woo-hoo!) we decided to take it home.

Isn't she a beauty?

When we got home we knew we weren't going to be able to get it through the front door, but figured we could get it through the sliding door. We were wrong. We had to dismantle the slider to get it in. Then discovered we would have to take off the doors to get it through the kitchen door. Whew! What a job for Tom and the boys to get it into the kitchen! But it looked so nice when we got it installed. I was so happy!

Then a couple of days later we noticed the freezer wasn't staying frozen. And it was making some funny noises from the back. The noises were starting to come more frequently. Tom tested it out and figured the compressor was 'thermaling out' (whatever that means). Thank goodness we took that 30 day warranty! So after some calls, the dealer said he'd put in a new compressor for free, but we'd have to take it back to Spokane to have it fixed. Bah!

So because my husband loves me, and wanted me to be happy, he spent his hard-earned Friday off to take it back to the dealer and get it fixed. When he got home he said "Happy Mother's Day". I think it's awesome! Now the refrigerator purrs like a kitten and all it's insides are the appropriate temperatures.

I am content.

Today when I was cleaning in the den, I came across this little doodle...