Repairmen, I've found, are repositories of human-nature anecdotes. With access to so many homes, they see the whole glorious gamut of domestic pathology, and they're often happy to share.
We recently had the gasket replaced on our freezer door. It's only five years old, which for some reason led the repairman to tell us about a call he'd received to look at a 28-year-old refrigerator.
The appliance, he quickly determined, needed several new parts and would have cost at least $1,500 to repair. The bigger problem was that said parts were no longer available. By some miracle, the homeowners still had warranty coverage, and the repairman announced the good news that they'd get a brand-new $1,400 fridge gratis.
The husband's response was the same as yours, mine, or any sane person's: "Thank God!"
The wife, on the other hand, dissolved into hysterics, weeping and imploring the repairman to fix the ancient icebox. Why? Because the thought of breaking up her cherished set of coppertone appliances was just too much to bear.
Her poor spouse gamely offered to paint the new fridge to match. I'd love to know if he did.
Special coppertone thanks to Derek for finding this classic picture after I gave up in frustration.
3 comments:
Honestly, some people really should not be allowed to live.
Send me the new frig. I love how you refer to it as an ice box just like Karel...
who buys copper tone appliances? what country do they live in?
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