Maybe, just maybe I have a refrigerator

Maybe, hopefully, keep your fingers crossed. I may have a refrigerator that actually works right. I hope I don't jinx it.
Today Joe from A and E called and then got to the house right before lunch. He looks at the fridge and takes the temp of both the top and the bottom. Not good, he tells me that it is not cooling right. No? REALLY? Gee, here I was thinking that this was normal. DUH?
He pulls it away from the wall and he notices that there weren't any valves that gave him access to the gases. Not good. Ok, so then he asked about what was wrong with it, what needed to be replaced and what was done to it. You would figure that they had all this in the system and that they would know all of this already. Nope again!
He tested for freon, well low-and-behold, it was EMPTY. The repairman before him must have poked a hole in the hose somehow and it all leaked out over a period of 3 days. Oh gee, great!
He fixed that with the blow torch, set off the smoke alarm, scared the cat, smelled up the kitchen, cleaned up and left.
So, in the long run, he fixed a hole from the other man. And filled it back up with freon. Told us that it should be cooling in a few hours. Yep, he was right. But then again, so was the other guy.
This repairman thought that the sealed unit in this model of refrigerator was under warrenty for 5 years. Nope again, this particular model was not under that clause, ours is only 1 year.
We paid $700 for this refrigerator last year and the amount of work that has been put into it so far is about twice that much.
Keep those fingers crossed!

Just some updates on everything

Ok, A and E just called, they will be here soon to check out this hunk of junk that is a so called refrigerator. Yes, Johanna, I am about to call the BBB for the fact that they sold us a lemon. It is irritating that I can't use the refrigerator for more than 2 days.
Elaine, to answer your question. Grocery shopping is a challenge right now. I went shopping the other day and spent quite a bit since I haven't had the luxury of a real refrigerator for several days. So, of course thinking that I had a refrigerator, I bought things like eggs, lunch meats, bacon, milk, cream, you know the stuff that you need to have coffee and breakfast. But when I got home and I noticed that it wasn't right, I had to start unloading and put things in the freezer. So, my shopping has been interesting. I buy things that I know can be frozen, I buy things that are smaller so I can fit it in the cooler. Chuck provides the ice from work. The freezer part is keeping cool enough for the eggs to be in there. But what would take me 30 minutes is now taking my over an hour. I have to plan out meals that won't have any leftovers. And if they do have leftovers, will it freeze ok? is the next question. It has been very hard, and my patience is at wit's end right now.
I got home from work last night at 11:15, Chuck was up waiting on me. I told him I was tired. I am not tired from work, although I did scrub floors last night, I am tired of this refrigerator. I am tired of walking around coolers, rummaging through the coolers looking for my cream, or the mustard, or whatever else there is. This is a learning experience for all of us. No food goes to waste at all, which is very good. They boys get creative with their lunches. Thankfully fruit and veggies don't have to be kept cool, or there would be nothing in the house to eat. I am so grateful that we did buy the upright freezer. It is packed full, as is the pantry. So that way if they want applesauce, they can have it. It is frustrating, but we all have trials, and there are friends of mine that are going through harder times than I am, who am I to even think about complaining?
As for Eric and the bike, the boys have been sharing. How nice of PJ to let Eric ride his bike. Let's start with PJ, the other day he was having problems starting and keeping balance, well, he called us outside on Sunday, after this fiasco with the fridge, and said, "Watch what I can do!" He started his pedals where he wanted them, and off he took through the yard. Downhill through the back yard, 2 or 3 times before he crashed. While I was making dinner Chuck heard him crying. He crashed and crashed hard. The handlebars turned and nailed him in the chest, he had a good scrap down the front. But that didn't stop him from getting right back on. I got a text from Chuck when I was at work, they were out there in the front and the back riding the bike, taking turns and having a great time.
As for Eric, we will be buying him a bike this week. He picked one out at Wal-Mart. Same as PJ's, just a bit larger. Perfect for him, and then when he outgrows that one, PJ can have it. He started out slow, well, you know he never rode one, never showed an interest, so for him to get on one and try to ride it, I was proud of him. Well, he would get out there everyday and practice, would ride down the dead end and come back up. He gets on it like he has always known how to ride a bike. I am so proud of both of them. Eric has coordination problems and this is helping him big time.
So, life isn't all that bad for me. I am going on a field trip with PJ this week, and I am so excited about that. I am so blessed with life right now. My mom tells me I have a talent and to use it. If anything comes from my little story, wonderful, if not, it won't be a big deal.

"Hello, can you get me someone in customer service?"

Do you know where this one is going?

"Good morning, I need to speak to someone in Customer Service, please?"
"Thank you, please hold."

I did this first thing in the morning because I didn't want to be on hold for an hour like I was the last time I called Maytag. Yep, I have refrigerator issues again.

"Hello, how can I help you?

So, I proceed to give my phone number and then explain to her that the part that was installed on Thursday has given up and the refrigerator is worse than it was before.

She told me that I had to call A and E and then they will charge me for whatever is wrong with it this time, if it is not related to the original problem.

Ok, well, I have the number for A and E and I call them.

"How can I help you?"
"Well, I had you guys out last week and for that matter the week before and my refrigerator is not cooling right. It is worse than it was before and I need him to come out and see if this part is the problem."
"Ok, well, I see that we have been out, several times actually, and I see that they did replace the original part. Will you be home tomorrow between 8 - 12 or 1 - 5?"
Luckily I am working tonight and I will be home all day tomorrow.
"Yes, any time tomorrow will be just fine for me."
"Ok, we will have someone out there between 8 - 12, is there anything else I can do for you?"
"So glad you asked, I need a new refrigerator, can you provide that?"
" Um, no mam, sorry."
I was only kidding with her.

I have gotten used to living out of a cooler. It has been quite an adventure, really. You get rather creative with dinners and what goes in the cooler and what doesn't need to be in there. So, I am really learning a lot from this lovely experience.

Number 1, I will never, ever, EVER buy a Maytag piece of trash again. I meant EVER AGAIN!
Number 2, I won't buy from Mike's Maytag either. Since the owner sold out, the other owner has the personality of an irritating boil.
Number 3, it pays off being really nice to the people on the other end. If I started out yelling and fussing, I would have had a new refrigerator because I can't afford to put all that money into something that we paid $700 for.
Number 4, So glad that I have the upright freezer!
Number 5, So glad that I have the pantry full of food for such an emergency.

We are learning everyday. This is just another trial that we have been through the past few months. How much more of this can I take? I don't know. I don't know whether to laugh or cry. Is it worth it? No. Told Chuck just to buy a mini fridge, because really, this is getting very old.

More to be posted as I find out what is going on tomorrow.

Children's Book

A while back I mentioned that I thought about writing a children's book. I wasn't sure if I would go through with it or not. Still deciding whether to send to a publisher or not.

I have gotten a good part of it done and I am have an ending, just trying to get it all together to finish it up.

I have sent it to a select few people. I am not posting it on the internet, because someone will steal it. Now, the 2 that have read it so far have told me that it held their interest, one told me it was very descriptive, and the other was wondering what illustrations would go with it.

I have some ideas for illustrations, but I have one little problem, I DON'T DRAW! PJ does, and he would love to be the illustrater for the book, but his drawings are more abstract. I may let him chime in on some ideas, I should let him chime him, after all, PJ is the main character.

If you are interested in reading a portion of it, please let me know. I can email it to you. It is rather cute, if I do say so myself!

Eric and the bike

The other day PJ got his new bike. He was so excited that he wanted to ride it. Well, when he would take a break, Eric would be on it. He would adjust the seat and try to ride it.

Now, let me start from the beginning, Eric has had Big Wheels, tricycles, bikes with training wheels, he never grasped the concept of riding the bike. His coordination was so off that riding a bike was a struggle for him. After the last bike, he just had no interest in riding any bike. Until the other day.

PJ wanted the training wheels off his bike so that way he can go down the Greenway with our neighbor. I expected that. Once he found out that Papa P wants to take him and ride on the Greenway, they had to come off. But what I didn't expect was Eric showing an interest in riding too.

Eric got on the other day and came in with his shorts pulled up, "I fell off" And that he did. Both knees scraped up pretty nicely. I told him to clean them up with peroxide and he should be fine. Nothing major, you could see that he hit the pavement with a force. I thought that he was gonna give up.

Last night, after we got home, here is Eric, in the neighbor's driveway, trying to ride around. I wanted him in our yard so I can see what he could do. He had a problem getting it started, but then once he got going he did just fine. through the yard, around in front of the house, right before he crashed into the flower bed. My poor flowers aren't gonna survive them riding bikes into it!

When I was out there with him, he looked at me, "So when can I get a bike?" Ha! That is funny, he had no interest in it, but when he started, he loves it. Good for him. We will look into getting him one shortly.

This will be good for all of us. We can rent bikes when we are on vacation and ride together. I am happy that he is trying as hard as he is. No training wheels needed!

Chorus began today

I guess I have to say that PJ must take after me with his singing. Now, number one, the kid is just down right adorable, and I am not saying that because he is my son. He is a cutie, so that does help getting him on stage. Number two, he has a personality that goes along with his looks. Once again, not saying because he is my son. But those of you that know him, know that he can turn on the charm when needed, a good thing at times, but not all the time. Number three, he does love to sing. And this will be good to get him into drama and choir when he gets to middle school and high school.

He was so excited last night that he didn't want to make his lunch. "Oh I will be up early enough to make my lunch." Yep, he forgot! He told me that he had to be up early because chorus started today. He has to be at school at 7:40, so at 7:30 he walks out the door heading to school.

I am tickled for him. This is an opportunity for him. He will have a Christmas play coming up, and they have other things that they get to do. Due to gas prices, they will not be performing at the malls this year. I do know that he can try out for other choirs in the area, if he is interested. This is an opening for him to try out for the things that he wants to do.

It is Fixed! It is Fixed! IT IS FIXED!

Guess what??? I have a refrigerator now. It is fixed and I can't be happier about all of this.

We have gone 9 days living out of a cooler. Ok, that is 9 days straight, that doesn't count the days that we went about 2 weeks before all of this that we were living out of the cooler.

You all have read the blogs and seen the lovely pic of the cat fur that came out that one day. We all know that wasn't the problem, but it is fixed now.

Yesterday about 8:30 the repairman pulls up, now, he had quite a bit already done from the other day. He had the back off and the freon already out, so that was about 25 minutes done. He opens the box and it is packed with egg crate and snuggly in the box, no dents, no bows, straight like it was supposed to be the other day.

I was on the computer while he was working on that. What we thought was going to be a 2 1/2 hour job, turned out to be an hour. In and out the door.

Before he left, he said that it was already cooling, but didn't want us to put much in it until 24 hours. Of course when Eric got home from school, I had him check the temperature on both, they were both cooling very nicely. To be honest, I know that my freezer never did cool very well, but when it is down to 24 degrees, I am happy. And I see now that they sold us a piece of garbage! It is like a new refrigerator now. I had Eric put milk, mayo and cream in there when he got home from school.

I felt so bad for the boys. Lunches were either bought at school, which they don't like at all. Or just stuff thrown together. There were several days that I had to go to school and take PJ his lunch. It was an awful mess. But we are back on track.

I got to thinking that if I had to live without any appliance which one would it be???? The dryer. That is all, don't take anything else away from me. I need it all. We all are so dependant on our appliances, that we don't realize how much we miss them when they are gone.

Now, I have to unload the cooler and fill my working refrigerator back up.