Electronic Elves
On December 28, we drove out to Yakima to pick up my cousin and his girlfriend, do some wine-tasting, and have some good talk before they flew back to London. The plan was to stay at a Yakima motel and then hang with the folks on the 29th. However, it was dark before we got to Hood River, the rain was puddling on the highway, and the semis were spraying water up to the car roof. We stopped to feed ourselves and the car and to switch drivers. But even D was nervous, so we bailed at The Dalles. As I worked with the motel office, D started unloading the car, and he dropped the iPad in the parking lot. When I sat down to play Lexulous, I discovered that the background graphics were all catywampus, letters flickering, colours a wavering fluorescent green and pink. Most unsettling. A few weeks later, D took it in to Apple. Their solution: trade in for a refurbished one, for a mere $300. So, I resigned myself to using a less functional iPad, but it added one more thing to the list of Things Not Going Right.
Two mornings ago, I lay on the couch with my coffee and the iPad. I was wandering about the blogosphere, when I suddenly realized I was looking at pix that were clear and bright. I went back to the main icon screen: the background picture of Mahaulepu Beach was sparkling. The graphics were great, the usual icons were in place, but the screen protector was gone.
Mystery #2
Earlier the same morning, I was dozing, cuddling with Carbon, trying to avoid the day. D came stomping in, asking where the camera was. I mumbled, "It's not by the kitchen door?" and he went into the usual diatribe: "a place for everything and everything in it's place...." and after some more fussing went off again to take pix with the iPhone (which does a better job and is easier to download anyway.) I gave up my ostrich attempt and went into carpe diem mode. As I was working in the kitchen, I noticed the camera hanging on the nail by the kitchen door, just where it should have been. D came in and I said, "you found the camera, huh?" He said, "You're kidding me!" Apparently he had found it, but not through searching. After he returned to his breakfast, there it was, on arm of his lounging couch in the living room. He assumed I had put it there, and, muttering to himself, had put it in the kitchen where it belonged.
Again, he swears he didn't find it and forget about it. So, again, it must have been Elves. Carbon and Simone refuse to get involved in our filing wars, and they were the only other beings in the house.
Good things come in threes, or, all things come to those who whine
Back before Christmas, a Missouri visitor to our town got lost driving down our street. She pulled into the driveway across from us and backed into our car, just as we were coming out to see the Christmas ships with G&W. Fortunately, we had already planned to use their car. Unfortunately, the insurance company is in Missouri. D has spent many frustrating hours talking to insurance, repair, and car rental businesses.
However, the stars finally aligned on Monday. We picked up the rental and dropped the Honda at the repair shop. Being ten blocks from the appliance store that L recommended (after reading my whine about Planned Obsolescence), we stopped by on the way home. It was a hole-in the wall, with two nice women in their 30s taking care of sales. It was busy, so there was time to wander about. Lots of white, lots of washers and fridges and ranges, very few wall ovens. We were enchanted by an ancient refrigerator with rounded corners, pull-up handles, and a round condenser unit attached to the top. Not for sale, though. They were also unable to supply us with what we needed (a 27" wall oven), but referred us to another store in NE Portland. D started phone negotiations while I went to work.
Yesterday we checked out Appliance City. D had picked up a phone call just as we arrived, so I went into door number one. I was met by a toothless elderly man who wasn't sure about inventory but was quite happy to walk me around. The place was crammed with appliances, but only saw one wall oven, dented on the top and too large to boot. So, we went back outside and walked down the street. They have taken over the entire block of shops but have not yet combined them inside. The outside is painted green and rustic red, and looks very clean and retro with its brickwork and large windows. The inside is dusty and grimy, appliances stacked in various stages of repair, dim fluorescents shedding a gloomy light.
Another toothless ancient came out from the back to assist us. They both agreed that we should check in with Michael, and I wanted to find D, so we went back to the first shop and found them both. Michael was the guy D had been talking with. He was middle-aged, with a round body, round balding head, and a matter-of-fact demeanor. We chatted about the models he had found for us and went with the Frigidaire, complete with convection oven, 90-day warranty, free delivery and haul away service. It costs what it would cost to repair the old one and is about the same age. It's also white, not black (a definite downside.) After I signed the paperwork I said, "Okay, now I'd like your opinion....does it make sense to buy a used appliance that is the same age as the old one?" I was harking back to the Planned Obsolescence rant. He seemed to think it was a wash, but since I was getting a better appliance that had also been tested in all areas, it might be a slighter better deal.
But, anyway, we have a new oven. Just needs to be delivered and installed.
So, we are climbing back into the light. We no longer see through a glass darkly. What once was lost, now is found. And, while I can't find a platitude for the oven and car, it will be nice to have those up and running soon. (Always look on the bright side of life.)
