Merry Christmas, ML...

I bought my house while I was home on leave from the Aleutian Islands. My CO called and told me that my orders had come through and I was being transferred back to Whidbey Island. SCORE!!!!!

I was so excited, And had my down payment already saved and in the bank. I went house looking, got a realtor, and told her what I wanted. There were several available, and 4 of them were being built. I went and looked and bought my house that day! It was not finished yet, but would be by October 1st which was the time I was transferring out of Adak! PERFECT!!

I got home and had to wait three weeks for closing, and then it was MINE!! I had a brand new house, with brand new appliances and carpet. WHOOT!! I felt like a queen!

I decided that I would cook thanksgiving dinner that year at my place, and my household effects were due to arrive way before then.

thanksgiving came, and I loaded the Oven with the Turkey, and everything was going along fine. UNTIL...I started to fix the potatoes, the peas, the green beans and the gravy all at the same time. One burner was fine, two were fine but three or more and the whole top went out. GRRRRRRR I got creative and made it through dinner, and then called SEARS the next week and they came out only to tell me that they could not find anything wrong. (be here next Thanksgiving Butt Head!!) SO I assumed it was just a freak coincident. Christmas dinner and the same thing happened. I called Sears again and they came out and replaced two of the burners. I did not cook a big dinner again for several years, and when I did, the same thing happened.!!

After the third time SEARS came out, I just said to hell with it, and only cooked with two burners.

FOr the past 2 years I have had to baby the stove along, because even the big burner wouldnt work. I could get it to work by pulling the burner out, then re-installing it, turning it on and then hitting it real fast and hard with my hand to see get it to spark. If it did not spark, it would not work. I did it real fast because I did not want to get burned on the off-hand chance that it WAS on. Bob would watch me go through this routine everytime I fixed him dinner. When He questioned me about it I told him I needed a new cooktop, but could not afford it yet. The oven worked fine.

Until this Thanksgiving! It worked just fine, but Now the self-cleaner will not work, because the buttons on the front broke off and are gone. WHen THAT happenend I dont know.

Yesterday I went to FOrks to see Tim, (tomorrow's story) and was gone all day, and when I got home Bob had gotten the new stove and had installed it for me.



Isn't it PURRRRTY!!!!

I had a built in-drop in stove before, and this is a stand alone. SO we had to cut the cupboard to get it to fit, but it works just fine!! I was sooooooo excited!!

It is a Whirlpool convection oven with self-clean oven. (gotta have that) and the glass top cook top. I LOVE it. He was gone when I got home, but I called and thanked him profusely for the Christmas/birthday present.

THen I turned around and saw the MESS!! They had used a sawzall to cut the cabinet, which is what I expected, but there was sawdust EVERYWHERE!! in the cupboards, on the counters, in the food, in all the appliances, all over the floor...I WAS PISSED!! I had a royal hissy fit at the mess. ( a week off of ZOloft...waiting for payday) So as tired as I was and hurting so bad, I rewashed all the dishes that were in the open dishwasher, then moved everything off the cupboards and washed them down again, and then the floor had to be scrubbed.

I was calling them every name in the book!! Why would 2 grown men instal a stove and leave such a mess? Well I should have known...It was Bob and Ron! Ron is a handy man by trade, and does this for a living, albeit self-employed. Ron is also the downfall of Bob. Ron says that perfection just gets in the way of Good enough! SO Bob has chosen that as his mantra also.

I called DOnna because I was pissed and wanted someone to just let me rant, I NEEDED to rant!! Hell I wanted to KILL SOMEONE!! (Not taking your meds does that ya know)
All DOnna said was MOM! It was FREE!!! ok, so I'm an ungrateful Bitch! ANd I feel so much better today, after getting meds, cleaning up the kitchen and taking a good hot shower and then taking some Tylenol PM and THera-flu. I woke up just fine, went in and cooked an omelet on my BEAUTIFUL NEw Stove.

Now I am waiting for Bob to come over for New Year's Eve. I am cooking steaks on my brand new stove in my brand new oven under my brand spanking new broiler.

Life is good!! (THANK YOU LORD for ZOLOFT!!)