The End of an Era

What can I say? We've lost a piece of history. A relic reminding us of the past. A workhorse of the decades.

It's our refrigerator. It died. Suddenly and without warning. It came with the purchase of the house and the manual states the model year is 1986. It was a good and faithful refrigerator. Huge and spacious and completely unsightly.

Now, when we had just stocked it to the hilt with all manner of fresh produce and meats it chooses to slip away silently. The fan was still working and so it was misleading us. The only warning that something was awry was the odor wafting into the kitchen. Things grew much worse after we cracked the door open. Lukewarm beverages and milk cartons. Wretched rotten left overs. Panic!

I NEVER like to make a purchase under such circumstances. One knows when one is susceptible to being on the losing end of a business transaction. The sheer necessity of a replacement had me concerned that we might rush into a purchase that I would have otherwise researched more thoroughly and found the best possible deal over. I did remember a store which I had heard offered good deals. Scratch and dent deals, etc.

B&B Appliance in downtown PHX. We went in and got a refrigerator for less than half the retail sticker price (I know because I did do my research hurriedly this a.m. and really began to panic!!) A Consumer Reports rated Whirlpool Gold stainless steel side by side with ice and H2O in the door. We are excited! Let me tell you!! There are some dents in the side and a tinsy tiny one on the lower front but for the price you can't beat it! We were planning to remodel the kitchen sometime next year (but now that we are adopting that may be postponed even further) and we were praying that our ancient appliances would last until then.... the refrigerator just couldn't hang. Even though this was an untimely forced purchase for us I feel good that we were able to get a fridge that will be fitting of our future remodeled kitchen at a HUGE discount. It looks totally out of place for now, but I don't mind. We had gone w/o an ice maker since we moved into this house. On the ride home we were celebrating how awesome it will be now that Dustin will never again have to hear me complain that he forgot to refill the ice trays!!