For five days, we had two refrigerators. The incumbent we purchased c 2003, maybe. It was your standard fare, freezer on the top, fridge beneath. I was fond of it until 2007 when the accident happened.
I bent over looking for something in the lower section. Unbeknownst to me, someone had opened the freezer door above me. I stood up and the freezer door hit me in the back of my head, neck, and shoulders. The freezer door never was quite right after that. Neither was the fridge door, which didn’t always close entirely.
Moreover, in the summers, there would be puddles on the floor, which we had to mop up almost daily. Items on the back of the top shelf of the fridge section would freeze. We’d been thinking about getting a new refrigerator for about three years.
Then National Grid made us an offer that we couldn’t refuse. They were offering their customers $100 to recycle their refrigerators and freezers. The appliances had to be between 10 to 30 cubic feet to be eligible for pickup. The units need to be plugged in and working on the day of the pickup. We scheduled the no-cost pickup for November 4.
OK, time to shop for the new refrigerator. Ultimately, we got a stainless steel model with the freezer on the bottom. The problem is that it’d be delivered on October 30. The evening before, the appliance dealer called and said they’d be delivering between 2:30 and 4:30.
Musical fridges
Where to put the old fridge? We made a path from the kitchen to the front of the living room. The day of delivery, we emptied the stuff from the incumbent into some coolers. The oddest find: an ice-encrusted disposable camera.
Promptly at 3 p.m., the delivery came. They brought the new appliance in the back door. Then these three guys, who were hardly burly, moved the old one to the living room with amazing ease.
Two of the three guys left, with the third one hooking up the water and some other tasks. I gave the third guy tips for all three of them. I’m trusting that he shared them.
I like the new refrigerator. The food is at eye level, so it won’t get “lost.” We threw out – actually composted – some veggies that had gone bad. Also, after being open for about three minutes,
according to this important source, it makes an irritating beep.
But I liked having two refrigerators, one in the living room, in the short term. I felt as though we should have had a keg party, even though none of us drink beer. I put the milk delivery in the living room fridge so it wouldn’t feel lonely. But I emptied it on Sunday night.
Then on Monday morning, as promised, we bid the old refrigerator adieu. I was afraid the two guys carrying it down our four steps were going to smash one of our railings, but they steadied the appliance. The $100 check arrived three weeks later.
