Cause I am Magic that way

Saturday morning I was relaxing with my coffee as the sun rose and gently started shining into my clean kitchen.  It was a peaceful morning.  Both boys and husband were sleeping in, and I had a few precious moments of quiet time. 

I sighed with deep contentment and called my sister for a chat.  Just as we settled in, my Jonas wandered into the room and said “Mommy, what is all of that smokey stuff in the kitchen?”  I looked over my shoulder, expecting to see a bit of steam escaping from the humming dishwasher.  But no, this was bona fide smoke.  Not “call 911!” smoke, but whispy white smoke, as if someone were lying on the floor having a cigarette.

What, for the love of quiet Saturday morning, was that????

I hung up with sister and ran into the kitchen, and the smell was like electrical wires cooking caramelized Barbie doll hair.  But where, oh where was it coming from?

Dishwasher?  No.  Coffee pot?  Nope.  Toaster? Off and unplugged.  Microwave?  No.  Phone? uh-uh.  Dryer?  Off and cold.  Washer?  Ditto.

Wait!  I know!  What is the single most expensive appliance that we own? 

Did you say not-even-seven-years-old-yet REFRIGERATOR?

Ding Ding Ding!

I yelled for Tom, because damn if I am going to handle a potentially bank-breaking calamity while he sleeps in (!)  Certainly not for insight because, seriously, he knows even less about appliances than I do. 

He was tremendously helpful.  Despite the stinky smoke coming from behind the fridge, he insisted that it must be the dryer or the toaster.  I left him to check the plugs while I pulled the fridge out from the wall.

Yep, it was burned up all right.  The lights still came on when I opened the door, and the freezer dropped one last, cruel and rather mean, load of ice cubes, but then it took it’s final gasp. 

After several calls to repair shops, and some quicky math, we both realized that for what we would have to pay to repair the thing, we might as well just buy a new one.  ($100 diagnosis, plus $75 and hour labor, plus parts, and “It sounds like your motor burned up, and that ain’t cheap.”

I should have known this would happen.  Because we just found out that we were getting money back from our Federal taxes.  And poof!  Before we even got the refund in our hot little hands, it was gone.  I am magic that way.

And PS, my kids are going to get into the hard-to-get-into private pre-school.   You know how I know?  Because if they do get in, we have to pony up $500 in a week to “hold their spot”.  And guess how much our state refund is?  If you guessed $500 and change, I have a lovely 7 year old Maytag refrigerator wardrobe to give you.  Cause I am magic that way.