Adventures in Applianceland

We’re at the stage in our married life when my hubby and I are in dire need of appliance replacement. No, I’m not talking about dentures, knees or hips (tfu, tfu, tfu!), but refrigerator, stove top and dishwasher. Our appliances have been showing their age for a while. With our refrigerator and stove top, it’s been a long, slow process; A bit of rust here, a broken knob or shelf there. In the case of our dishwasher, however, sudden and total collapse after a relatively long and useful life.

With the holiday of Passover at the beginning of April, the Friday newspaper (our equivalent of the Sunday newspaper) over the past month has been full with appliance ads and special promotions (“Buy XXXX and get X free!”) and we went into a shopping frenzy. Within a one-week period we plowed through three appliance “warehouses” (more like mini-warehouses, this is Israel after all), a couple of the local shops as well as local Internet bidding sites.

We can’t make a snap decision to save our lives and after two weeks of near daily discussions, we finally narrowed down the selection for the cooktop; we simply ended up buying the newer version (in black) of the one we already had (in white). Done! The dishwasher was revived after a painfully expensive brain transplant (which was preceded by a near equally painful heart/lung transplant three years ago but still not as painful as a new dishwasher) and we were left hunting for just the new refrigerator.

The thing is that fifteen years ago our kitchen planner seriously underestimated the dimensions of the niche that would be required for when we would need to replace our old refrigerator. Unfortunately for us, modern refrigerators have taken on dimensions only people with Viking ancestry could love or at least use. (Can someone please explain the rationale of marketing a nearly two meter tall refrigerator to a population whose average height is 1.76m tall?) Finally we narrowed down our choices to two different sizes of Amana refrigerators, both with single doors and bottom freezers. One model is just a bit bigger than the frig we presently own and one is big enough to carry us right through to a time when the entire family comes over Shabbat dinner and the grandkids stay over (G*d willing!). We measured the niche and both refrigerators with everything but a laser and, with just millimeters to spare, took our chances on the larger model. Done!

Well, not quite. We made another round of the appliance shops to see if the prices had dropped since our last outing the previous month and suddenly we noticed that the frig came in the Plain White American version with Odd Plastic Handles (the Sexy Chrome version with Sexy Chrome Handles would have required a bank loan) or the Sleek European Colored Door Panel version with Sexy Chrome Handles. Apparently the SECDPvwSCH version is very popular here, according to the sales people, and costs another 1000 Shekels (approx. USD 200). See above note about inability to make snap decisions.

Meantime, with Passover getting closer and closer, what finally decided for us was the supply time. Since the Plain White American version is the foundation for applying the Sleek European Colored Door Panel, the white version was easily supplied in a short period of time, maybe even before the holiday, so no massive cleaning of the frig required. Done!

After all that running around, now I just have to find the energy to cook.

When words fail you…

post a picture.

Life is more than a bit hectic right now and I can’t even blame preparations for the holidays, though they are certainly adding their portion to the pot.

If you need a quiet place, you could do what I do and escape to the beach.

Are you ready?!

Still the week from H*ll, but thanks to a tip from my friend, SJ, you can enjoy a pre-holiday taste of, well, The Holiday!

Hot Flash

OK-all of you who don’t knit or journal can simply skip over this post, except for the last paragraph. (I am working on another post, but the past ten days have not left me with 2 consecutive minutes to myself. This one is a “it writes itself” post.)

Although the fabulous Manolo would ban flip-flops entirely from Existence, flip-flops are a way of life here in the never ending summer that is Tel Aviv (except for the past 48 hours, in which Winter gave a tour-de-force return performance). So for our odd transitional period at the beginning and end of summer and for breaking in those new flip-flops, look no further than the Fong (hat tip to Craftzine blog). Might even break some folks out of their Crocs wearing habit. (Ya think?)

Next up, the wonderful and inspirational Keri Smith is up to a new project, “Wreck This Journal“, which celebrates creative destruction. Go, look, do!

And not having a thing to do with the above two sites, but too good not to post a link, Idan over at Pixane has been churning out some fabulous topic comics this week. The one about disconnecting from our monopolistic cable company, “HOT”, had me snorting coffee out my nose. Thanks Idan!

Chag Purim Sameach-Happy Purim!

If you aren’t familiar with the Book of Esther and want to read a wonderful explanation about the Holiday of Purim, you couldn’t do any better than Nominally Challenged’s post of today. Go read!

If you are a fiberholic, here’s a Purim Story I wrote for a knitting list a few years back. Chag Sameach!

Subject: Knit: A Purim Shpiel (Purim Story) or “Let’s hear it for independent women!”

Hi Knitsibs:
For those of you not familiar with it, today is the Jewish holiday of Purim, one of the few times during the year that we are allowed, nay required, by Jewish law to cut loose and be crazy. So in the spirit of the holiday, here is my offering.

A Purim Shpiel (Purim Story):
(which is *very* loosely based on the Scroll of Esther and don’t start screaming intellectual property or copyright breach at me, ‘cuz I’ll sue the pants off ya-I have friends here who are lawyers…wave, wave):

(It is morning in the palace quarters of Vashti, Queen and Head of the Shushan Spinning and Knitting Guild:)

“Gevalt! Someone get all these neck-ed sheep out of here! I’ve been shearing and washing fleeces for the last 3 weeks and I’ve now spindle spun enough wool and cotton for all the wall hangings in Ahasuerus’ kingdom, let alone the palace. Where is that Rumple..stilts..person when you need him?!”

“I stink and my arms are blue up to the elbow from dying this stuff and NOW Ahasuerus decides he wants to throw a party? Let ‘im make his own arrangements! I’m going to go have a bath!”

(Several hours later:) “Ah! Much better. I think I’ll just lie down and take a quick nap before the guild meeting.”

*knock, knock*

“Yesssssss, WHAT is it? Why is it the minute I close my eyes someone just has to disturb me?”

“Your Highness, The King wishes you to attend upon him and his guests in the garden.”

“Has he been drinking or what?! I’ve just spent the better part of a month getting the materials ready for my demo at the guild meeting this afternoon and I’m not going anywhere, especially not to one of his drunken brawls. Tell him I’ll come tomorrow. In any event, his parties last for days on end.”

(Several hours later in the reception rooms to the Queen’s chambers, the monthly meeting of the Shushan Spinning and Knitting Guild is taking place:)

“…and I hope you’ve been inspired by these new techniques I’ve shown you all. If you’d please take out your knitting needles and cast on 350 stitches, I’ll walk around and try to help out if you get stuck.”

*knock, knock*

“Not just now, thank you. We’re counting stitches. 216, 217, 218…”

*knock, knock*

“That tears it! I’ve lost count! Who is it and what do you want?!”

“Your Majesty, I’m sorry, but the King insists that you come down to the garden to entertain him and his guests.”

“Guests, Shmests! You can tell Mr. Party Guy that I’m in the middle of my guild meeting and he can get someone else to entertain his drunken friends!”

(Several days pass without incident, until one day Vashti returns to her rooms only to find them locked and someone else occupying them:)

*knock, knock*

“Who’s there?”

“Vashti!”

“Vashti who?”

“The Queen and Head of the Shushan Spinning and Knitting Guild, that’s who! And if you know what’s good for you, you’ll open this door!”

(The door slowly opens and there before Vashti stands a wisp of a girl who looks like a good wind could knock her over.)

“And who, may I ask, are you?”

“I’m the new Queen of Shushan, the one chosen because you wouldn’t come to entertain the King and his guests. I’m sorry to tell you that the King has decreed that you are to be turned out.”

“Can I still be the Head of the Shushan Spinning and Knitting Guild?”

“What do I know? I don’t spin or knit!”

(evil cackle) “Free at LAST!”

A very happy Purim to everyone!

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