Power Outage Wreaks Havoc

 

Last Wednesday as I was preparing to get my children off to school our power went out.  It had been so cold and frankly I wasn't too surprised when it happened.  It was out for about an hour and a half but that was just long enough for the water to freeze up and the RV to get pretty darn cold.  Soon we were able to get things warmed up inside and eventually the water running once again. 

We did have a casualty, however.  Our refrigerator must have gotten fried when the power was restored because the "check" light came on and it hasn't worked since.  Damn it! 

Needless to say I was about to go into full panic.  The refrigerator is old and it stands to reason, as far as the lifespan of one of these refrigerators goes that it might die on me, but right now?!  Really?! 

To replace one runs about $1500 - $2000 plus installation or I can retro fit an all electric refrigerator instead, but either way we are talking money and more than likely a mess to get the job done.  Not to mention it is bloody cold and not the kind of weather to do a major project in. 

I was talking to my "friend, who is a boy," and telling him what had happened.  I was met with "You’ve got to be f%*#@^g kidding me?!"  My thoughts exactly!  I was seriously ready to cry and about to go into meltdown mode as I really didn't have a lot of time to work on this situation, my coolers are in storage at a friend's house so I'd have to meet up with her in order to get them, I'd need to stop an get ice, etc., etc., etc. 

Plus coolers really don't hold a lot, I don't have a good place to put one, other than outside, and it is hard to organize and keep your groceries together in them for the long term.  A weekend camp trip is one thing but for everyday use that's another.  Plus what a pain in the butt to go in and out, especially in this weather to get what I need to cook a meal.  My tirade was beginning to get lengthy until I was met with… 

"Good God woman, take a breath." 

Brilliant man that he is reminded me that my refrigerator is nothing more than a big cooler right now and that all I needed was to get some ice in there for the time being until I can figure out what I want to do. 

Duh! 

When I mentioned that the ice would melt and run all over he then suggested I get some water jugs at the store and set them out overnight.  They'd freeze, which they did.  In the meantime I could set my groceries outside if I was worried they'd get too warm.  As it turned out I had a gallon of milk and a half gallon of orange juice that had frozen in the mini fridge outside so I already had "ice". 

I took a breath. 

We'll get the refrigerator situation resolved eventually and life, in the meantime, will be just fine.  What would I do without my friends to reel me back in when I feel like I'm about to go over the edge?