Hey!
First of all, as all homeowners know, the weekend is the favorite time to have something go wrong in the house. For us, it was the refrigerator. Not our main one. We have one that came with the house which holds all the pop, milk, and juice.
The freezer compartment was working, but the fridge part war getting warmer by the minute.
What to do? Get on the internet and Google for help.
The fascinating part of searches for repair help is how technical the help offered is.
For example, several YouTube videos explained my options. All couched in terms suggesting maybe calling professionals might be the best course of action.
Honestly, they were making things more complicated than necessary. I took some advice my Dad gave me years ago. I waited a little to think it over and then decided on a course of action. (Actually, he would sit and have a beer. I don’t drink anymore, so I just sit and think.)(And watch tv, play with my grandson)
I told my wife I was going to unplug it and let it thaw out completely. She gently suggested that it wasn’t like rebooting a computer.
Armed with that boost in my confidence, I proceeded with the plan.
First, I had to clean off the coils under the fridge. (Always unplug the fridge first.) I was surprised to find a thick layer of dirt had encased the coils. They need to be relatively clean for them to do their jobs. It took a little knuckle-scraping to reach far enough back to clear the coils.
A few hours after letting the fridge thaw completely, it was time to test the theory.
When I plugged it back in the first thing I noticed was how quiet it ran. The fan was turning but it wasn’t struggling like it had been. I let it go overnight and when I checked it in the morning both compartments were running just like they should.
Total cost of repair: $2.08 for a bottle scrubber to reach and clean the coils.
The other thing we did recently was fill out the brackets for March Madness.
As of right now, Thursday night, I am crushing both of my opponents. Sorry wife and son. (not sorry)
One other thing, Amy of Lucys Football fame, has written a very moving post on her blog. It is an open letter to Jane Doe, the victim of a brutal rape by a couple of young men in Steubenville, OH. I have toyed with writing something about that. After reading Amy’s post all I can do is point to the blogroll at the right and ask you to take a few minutes to read her words. It was a brave thing for her to write considering all the vicious people who have verbally attacked anyone who defends the victim. Very brave.
Until next time,
Peace
Bellbottom Blog 
I would have taken the whole damn thing apart. Swore like a drunken sailor. Kicked it once or twice. Not listen to my wife when she would suggest a simple solution. Then later, when she wasn’t watching, take her advice.
I am capable of violence when it comes to inanimate objects. It just depends on the situation.
Thank you, John. I’m so humbled that post moved people.
I woke up and did not do as well with my brackets today. I’m tied with Dad in our competition, in 8th place in another, and tied for 11th place in the last one. I’m beginning to think picking teams based on how much I like their mascots or how many ‘z’s they have in their names might not have been the best course of action.
In an episode of Cheers, Diane picked according to which city had the better symphony orchestra. My method is to rush through it and hope for the best.