No Whining Allowed

I believe I may  have mentioned the other day that we got a new washer and dryer!!! Honey surprised me by also buying a new freezer. Well, not surprised me, cause I was there when we bought it, but surprised me cause I didn’t know he was going  to  buy one that day. Without all his usual prep work. It was almost an impulse buy! Oh, just joshing , I’m sure he had been on-line checking on all of those need to know facts.

Our freezer was 22 and 1/2 years old and was a wedding gift from my folks.  Every summer, for the last couple of years, it  developed some major seal problems that caused it to be inclined to not close properly, and several (more than I would like to count) times would pop open for no good reason and cause me a whole bunch of work, not to mention the FBI interrogation of  “who left the freezer door open?”. I am afraid The Boy may be scarred for life. Cause he is my go-to guy when I need something out of the freezer, so it usually was  him. Cause you would have to hold the darn thing with your whole body until the seal sucked all around, and even then,  it was a crap shoot. And, cause it was NOT frost free, I would have to get out the pick axe and take care of the problem. It also got so hot on the sides during the summer that I was getting concerned that it might explode. And you KNOW it would have conviently exploded when Honey was gone and I would have had to do some of those things that I told you about the other day, the things that I don’t like to do.

It was a well used machine, known for holding our sale purchased meat, frozen pizzas, extra ice cream, and an ENTIRE shelf devoted to Honey’s spaghetti meat sauce  that we make in huge batches with huge pots. And  for the last couple of years, the spoils of Honey’s fishing in Alaska, and anywhere else he may fish. Last summer he and The Boy fished in Seward and Soldatna. And they caught a LOT of fish. The Boy will tell you it was all his doing, and I believe his Dad would agree he was out-fished. Usually Honey brings home halibut (which we all love) and salmon (which we don’t, except for the smoked, and then only a few love it). This year they brought home other kinds, ling cod, dolly varden, brook trout, and that’s all I can remember, cause fish talk makes my eyes glaze over. Well, they hogged the freezer! And we had to keep it in copy paper boxes to keep it sorted, and it took up 2 and 1/2 shelves! Totally hogged that freezer! And  we have been completely out of sauce since the summer with NO hope of getting any made cause there were 4 BOXES of fish HOGGING the freezer! So with all those factors weighing heavily on our minds, plus the previously unmentioned one, the possibility of the thing actually DYING , and losing the fish inside, Well, we just could not take that chance. Personally, my main reason was for The Boy and his fragile self esteem. Cause I don’t think we could have handled another summer of door related interrogation.

So here is the thing of beauty! Now pretend that I am standing on the side showing you the features like Carol Merrill from “Let’s Make A Deal”, complete with arm motions. We accidentally bought a bigger one than we had because when I was using my super good  measuring capabilities (I remembered that our freezer was as tall as me), we forgot  that our freezer in the garage was up a step higher than the garage floor. So when it came, it was HUGE. And I got even more excited! When I realized that the blue things were dividers,  well, I can’t even begin to describe my happiness! All 4 of those fish boxes are gone, baby, gone  and the fish is neatly stored in the bottom baskets in the same catagories that they had been. Separated by those little blue arms of organization. Even the door baskets are self contained. It’s a beautiful thing. And, best of all , if we just eat a couple things and rearrange a tad, there will be room for that whole shelf of  liquid treasure called spaghetti sauce. Now that  is a dream come true! 

I am beyond excited today! At 9:30 the ABC Warehouse truck came to deliver our NEW washer and dryer and freezer!!!

Now I can look back at my life and remember a time when this would not have been as thrilling. As a matter of fact, I can distinctly remember what I was thinking on our first married Christmas when Honey so thoughtfully gave me a waffle iron. To make him waffles.

 But that was a long time ago.  And, as I mentioned, I am beyond excited  today! I have never had a new washer, and my dryer was 20 years old. They have been through a lot, caring for 5 people, 3 from babyhood.

 I have had subtle clues for the last several years that they were getting ready to walk off the job. Spinning the excess water from the clothes became optional for the washer. And the dryer rebelled by taking a cycle and a half to dry everything. The loads were reduced. Then reduced again.

 Every year on vacation I was reminded just how poorly they performed. Our condo’s had GREAT laundry rooms! I would always let Honey know and he would perform some kind of magic and they would straighten up. For a time.

A couple weeks ago the washer turned plain evil. It decided that agitating was also far too much trouble and we all turned up wearing clothes that had dried on detergent somewhere  on them. I told Honey I had to quit these guys. It was getting embarrassing. He was obviously tired of all the hocus-pocus himself, cause all he said was “Want to go to ABC Warehouse?” and I jumped at the chance.

 Now that is telling right there in itself. Cause I haaate the warehouse. Honey often asks if I would like to go look at something there, to which I always reply, politely, no thank you. Because he could look for several years. Its a good thing that the Lord put us together, cause he has to look at every single  aspect of a purchase, while I say I like the look of that one there, it’ll do. And  I was not born with the haggle gene.

As a matter of fact , that could quite possibly be in my top 10 things that I do not like to do. Higher than calling around for insurance and shopping for a car, but lower than getting a pap smear and a mammogram.  But for Honey, it’s pure sport, and he excels at it.  I am just uncomfortable. And not making any eye contact, anywhere. So he did his thing and got us a great deal and I am so thankful for his skills, cause girls like a guy with skills!

Now I know that Mrs. Schmenkman is going to have a problem with the color. White appliances are not her thing, but I thought they looked rather fresh and they match the doors that I never got around to painting in there, so see? it all matches, its all good!  I was so excited that I made a special trip to Meijers to get the high efficiency laundry soap that it needs so I can start my wash right away!

Honeys family is from the great white north. Not that north actually, just Windsor, which is really probably just east. He has 3 sisters and 1 brother , in that order and all older than him.   The visitors were Sister # 3, Rachel and her husband Krazy Kenny, their daughter and her husband, Karrie and Peter, and their children, Burke and brand new Paisley Rachel, who will be 2 weeks old this Wed., and is a precious little goomba! We were all amazed at her hair! I have had toddlers that didn’t have that much hair! Welcome to the famly, little one.

And here are Ab-Cat and the Muggins , who spent quite a bit of the time wrangling the Burkie.

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We had ourselves a good old  halibut fish fry, courtesy of Honey and The Boy and their fishing trip to Alaska this summer. YUMMO!