Orange you glad ...

I didn't say refrigerator [again]?

Okay, this new unit is quite a bit larger than the previous one. And I'm the first to admit that I don't eat enough vegetables. So I decided keeping the freezer section organized and stocked would be a top priority.

I bought a couple smallish bins to corral several one-pound bags, which are meal-sized for the two of us. It's not that I don't like vegetables, I just like meat and fruit better. I think it might be helpful having veggies at my fingertips instead of having to schlep over to the big freezer in the garage to fish them out.

Lo and behold, my weekly Tiny Kroger e-mail offered loyalty card coupons for freezer items. So … I clicked. And here's what I could download.

I foolishly thought they might have, oh, say, frozen brussels sprouts on sale. But no, it's all convenience foods and frozen desserts, all the way.

Insert sad face emoticon here.

How ironic is it that this major grocery trip (I haven't stocked up in two weeks!) included … a rotisserie chicken. On the day that I actually could cook and have a place to store leftovers, I take the easy way out and let Kroger cook it for me. Poor planning on my part.

But I made up for it by simmering the carcass in water for a couple hours after dinner. It's in the refrigerator waiting for me to make some kind of yummy soup. I'm thinking cabbage, carrots, onions, celery, mushrooms, a can of tomatoes and some taco seasoning. Topped with chopped avocado. And not a single frozen vegetable. Hah!

It's here!

I do believe I'll take a walk and then go to the grocery.

Nothing fancy. I don't care about in-door water and ice dispensers or ice makers. But it's cooling down nicely, it's larger than the old one, it fits the space perfectly and wow is it ever clean.

Vickie shared her delivery story in a comment yesterday. You've heard/read mine. I went online last night and found scores of complaints from others with similar experiences. Or worse.

It isn't my store's fault. It isn't the delivery guy's fault. Somewhere along the line Sears the Corporation decided to outsource their delivery instead of having an in-house delivery department.

Too many layers. Too little communication. Abysmal customer service. They've given me absolutely no reason to buy anything else from them.

Plan the plans, redux

I was prepared.

I moved the bench inside the front door. My husband cleared both the front and back porches of snow and ice, to facilitate delivery of the new refrigerator and removal of the old one. The floor in the area where the new appliance will live is spotless – that rarely happens here, and I'm guessing it rarely happens in your kitchen either.

Those mothers are HEAVY!

I spent the waiting time – scheduled delivery was between 2:15 and 4:15, yesterday – finishing up House of Cards (wow, what a great series), finishing up two pairs of fingerless mittens (they'll be mailed today), occasionally stirring the curried chicken in the slow cooker (enough for leftovers, since I would have a refrigerator in which to store them).

We were supposed to get a call in the morning, which didn't come. I called at around 3 and got a recording stating my delivery was scheduled for … you saw this coming, right? … today. Not yesterday, March 4, which is what is printed on my receipt and confirmed in three e-mails.

Apparently a truck broke down.

Now I can understand a mechanical failure – an unavoidable circumstance – which would necessitate rescheduling. What I can't understand is why. we. weren't. called.

After several missteps – the delivery number was to a call center, not to the local store – I finally reached a woman who actually knew what was going on. She said we weren't going to have our appliance delivered until Thursday. She couldn't give us a time window, but promised to call in the morning to let us know.

We haven't had a refrigerator for TWO WEEKS. I'm going nuts.

So last night I was driving to my volunteer gig at Alderson FPC and my phone rang. I didn't recognize the number so I let it go, and later checked my messages. It was an update on my delivery. It's coming today, between 1:15 and 3:15. Bwahahahahaha. That's not happening. I have been assured by a live person that a replacement vehicle will not be available today at all.

I saved the message.

Oh, and since it's Wednesday … I lost half a pound. This clean eating is a really good idea. Heh.

I wanted to stab my eyes out

I woke up yesterday to the ol' wintry mix again, and thought, "noNoNO!" We knew it was coming, of course. The radar map was the same every time I looked at it Sunday – a huge pink-and-blue wall of ice and snow heading our way. Combined with sub-freezing temperatures, it was a bad day for taking a walk, but a good one for ass-sitting. AND KNITTING! I completed, beginning Sunday evening, three fingerless mitts, and the fourth one is about a third of the way done.

And I think we may have watched eight or nine or even 10 episodes of the second season of House of Cards. If HoC is your only exposure to how government works, it's no wonder a lot of people say they're not interested in politics.

I got a four-miler in Sunday morning. It began raining when I was a quarter mile from home, on the way back. Eating has been good and clean for three days now. I think I'm back on track.

The new refrigerator is scheduled for delivery between 2:15 and 4:15 this afternoon. Perhaps I'll cook enough for dinner that we'll have LEFTOVERS. Because now I'll have a place to keep them. Although, realistically, it won't be cooled down and ready to freeze things until tomorrow, I would imagine. But the light really is at the end of the tunnel for this ordeal.

And maybe the light is at the end of the tunnel for our weather woes, as well. Mostly sunny and highs in the 40s and 50s for the next five days (including today, but right now it's only NINE!). More wintry mix moves in after that, but it looks like it may only be during the overnight period, as high temperatures during the day are still going to be quite moderate.

I'll be so glad when there's no more bad weather to write about.

I'm sure you will be, as well.

February 15 - Inside your fridge

That bottle of rooster sauce is as essential to my cooking as salt and pepper is.