A refrigerator update

Well, the nice man was here and gone, leaving me a clean freezer, and plans for a return visit by "Michael" when the part comes in. This repair is a bit more costly than the first time, but I am thinking the first repair, it may have yet been under warranty. I got a discount because I answered in the affirmative one of the series of questions he had for me before he hit the SEND key on his iPad. The only thing I could answer 'yes' to was the question regarding my age group. I told him honestly that I can get a discount at Beall's on Wednesdays and he was filled with disbelief. "Really? What do you eat? Wait, I can see right here what your menu is..." since the freezer drawers and their contents were on the counter. Pot pies, pizza, a package or two of frozen meat, other containers of food, and yes, some raspberry sherbet! No, Michael, I don't think my diet affects my hair color! Earlier, when I offered to help him unload the baskets from the freezer, he said, "I never refuse help from a pretty lady" to which I replied, "Is it okay if I help you instead?". He said, "Now come on, don't tell me you can't take a compliment..." and I graciously accepted. (Think he was sniffing the freon on the way over!)

But, anyway, he was a very nice man and insisted on cleaning out the bottom of the freezer for me, suggesting I was trying to take away his job. It is nearly impossible, well, make that extremely difficult, to get to the bottom of the freezer unless under these circumstances. I guess Justin could possibly lift the baskets out for me in order to wipe it the floor of the freezer, but instead, I choose to spend hundreds of dollars to have Michael do it for me! He had to manually defrost some vents at the back of the freezer, used a small wet vacuum to clean that up, and then put it all back together again, awaiting the replacement part. It is plenty cold now and will stay that way, he says, up to a couple of weeks, until it frosts up again.

You know what I love? When I posted the problem on Facebook, I got one e-mail asking if I needed cold soda, plus one text message asking the same question. That is so cool! I have great neighbors, have I mentioned this before? What I did do was put a can in the freezer, and set two timers to make sure it was not forgotten. When I took one out, I put in the next one, and set the timers once more. When this happened the first time, I bought a warranty for the year but never renewed it, figuring it was a waste of money. What could happen? The cost then was $60 a year, I think, and over the next three years, yes, it would have been money well spent!

Playing the waiting game

It seems this has happened before, but I am awaiting the arrival of the appliance repair man this a.m. When I got a soda after I woke up, it did not seem to be extraordinarily cold. I did not notice this until I also removed a stick of butter to soften and found it already started doing that! Now what????

Immediately I got on the computer to find an appliance repair shop in Orange Park, made the call, and got put on the list. The freezer seems to be just fine but the fan or something putting cold air in the fridge is not doing the trick. My neighbors, seeing my posting on Facebook, have offered to get me some cold Diet Coke but right now, it is okay. I can always put a can in the freezer if need be. But must not forget it or we will have yet another mess to clean up! The last time it was on the fritz was in 2008 but it seems more recent than that.

My nice pedicure gotten in Manitowoc is wearing off, the nail edges rough and the polish chipped. Yes, the pool is the culprit, and no, I don’t like to wear the pool shoes. Linda J. has a really nice pair that she likes but I have only worn mine, not as nice as Linda’s, when on the boat or jet skiing. I did try to use them for aerobics a couple times but they were unsatisfactory for me. Summer months equal bad toes and that’s just the way it is! Pool time is so worth it to me. The reason I mention the toes going to pot is that I noticed red flecks on the floor alongside my bed. I thought, “Now what??” but when I looked closely at my hand when wiping it up, realized it is chipped off polish.

Yesterday I took the video out to the pool, arriving just in time for the lifeguard to blow her whistle and get everyone out of the water. Yes, it was thundering! Timing was everything and I missed my chance. All covered in coconut sunscreen and nowhere to go! Kay was happy to get the movie, though, especially since their pool time was over, they only arrived about 45 minutes before the thunder did. I had put my address label inside the cover of the video (DVD) so she remembers where it came from.

Justin and I went to church at Victory on Sunday, even though I tried to get him to come to Good Shepherd instead, since we worship at 10:00 in the summer time. Nope, he was a hard sell on that point, even though my ‘argument’ was that Pastor and Anne were on vacation and we would likely have a video instead of sermon. He knows how I feel about that. Got to see Suzanne and family there and Daniel asked me to sign his new cast, Gator orange, of course. We sat with Rita on one side and Stephanie and Erica on the other side of us. Brent is deliberating a Call to a church in W. Palm Beach and was having a meeting after the service to discuss it with the congregation.

Justin and I did not stay for the meeting, heading together to St. Johns Town Center Mall for our lunch, then choosing Old Navy for his shopping. Grandma K. bestowed some money on him so he could buy suitable garments for job hunting. I had gotten him a nice pair of slacks last year, I think, but he got them dirty when stopping to do something on a job site, mud stains, I believe. Now, he has two pair of khakis and four polo shirts in a lightweight knit, removing the excuse for wearing jeans to church. (I have ulterior motives!). Yes, I am so glad and thankful that he goes to church, and yes, it should not matter if he wears jeans….but, if he has nice slacks to wear instead, especially when worshiping with his mama…Well, you know the rest of the sentence!

My choice for lunch was PF Chang, which I absolutely LOVE. My favorite is the crispy honey chicken with brown rice and Justin likes the beef and broccoli. The waiter suggested he try the Mongolian beef so Justin did, with the waiter incorporating broccoli back into it. It truly was delicious, almost had a sweetness to it. As did my honey chicken! Justin ate all his food and the waiter boxed mine up for me, except he did not take my brown rice. It was a tight squeeze to get the chicken in so that’s okay. The leftovers for dinner were simply delicious---again!

Our original shopping plan was to go to Kohl’s but he felt that it was handier and more economical to go to Old Navy. The polo shirts were only $10 each, and that is truly a good value. On the way back to get his car which was parked at church, Justin called his grandma to thank her for the clothes. Kohl’s on Southside is located on Atlantic Avenue, which, for him, would be quite handy but not so much as the Mall. And PF Chang! He has wanted me to try a restaurant at the Beach but that would not have worked out yesterday. Perhaps on a Thursday after Bible study we can do that!

One of the reasons we had a tiny time crunch was that I had promised Tracy that I would check in on MamMa mid-afternoon Sunday. Tracy’s cousins were staying with MamMa until early on Sunday when they left for Disneyworld. Friday we went to La Nopalera for lunch, as usual, and it was so nice. They treated me, which was extra nice, and also partook of margaritas with me. Nina, Steve, and their son, Juan, came in from Houston to see MamMa and stayed with her while Tracy and Cassidy were in Boulder, CO, apartment shopping. It all worked out, including my getting down there at 3:00 pm to visit Willie Mae. And then the thunder started!