Friday evening, Mister Man and I found ourselves purchasing a new fridge. This venture started close to 5:30 Pacific Time as we were preparing to take The Redhead and her sleepover pal out for pizza. During dinner, the thought of this purchase was looming. We still weren't sure if such a purchase needed to actually happen, but by the middle of dinner, we had decided it was definite, in our opinions, and not worth waiting any further. And within an hour, we were both on our respective computers researching appliances.
By 9, we had purchased a new one. A black side by side refrigerator with an ice maker and drink dispenser to be delivered the 7th of October. Sure, top freezers are half the price. Sure, we could have found something on Craigslist, something that could have been delivered much sooner. But where is the fun in that? None of that can beat a brand new side by side, right? Whirlpool brand. From Sears. To our rental property in Kansas. Much like the carpeting, it will be installed without us present. That's right, we're not even using it.
Out of of all the things we thought we would be replacing, that eleven year old fridge that we put into our Kansan home the Saturday we moved in wasn't even a consideration. Most rental properties didn't even come with fridges, but it was certainly easier than hauling it across the country. And our appliances in this house are white, not black, and the house came with a normal fridge with a top freezer, but we didn't know that by the time we had decided to leave it behind. It may not have been the appliance we expected to go out, but it happened regardless. I know it was inconvenient for our tenant as well, which is why we purchased her a mini fridge to get her by until the new one arrived, the 7th being the earliest possible delivery date. I felt guilty about the date, but aside from settling on some odd colored used one on Craigslist at a fourth of the price, it was the best we could do.
Now this isn't the part where I want you to pity us. We own two houses, one in Kansas, one in Northern California. Being landlords, we knew problems would arise. Being landlords from afar, we knew we would have to be creative with how we tackle issues. Luckily, for the most part, Mister Man and I make a good team. I worry about the financial end. He tells me not to. He looks at it from a straightforward perspective, I am resourceful. In the end, we balance each other out. It doesn't mean we don't argue, but we save that for the little things, like getting after him for forgetting we can recycle all plastics and trivial things like that.
I wasn't feeling well on Friday, and I also worry too much about big purchases. I get nauseated and anxious like many people. I start panicking. Of course, it doesn't help matters. In the end, the solution was simple. Costly, but simple, and I'm glad Mister Man doesn't worry about that part. I'm glad we're different in that respect. I worry about letting the tenant down. He tells me we've done the best we can. And in the end, these situations always make us stronger. They are reminders on our compatibility, our strengths, how far we've come. And while they are a reminder that we've moved and we still own a house in Kansas, it's a good reminder. We don't want to become complacent. We need to be vigilant and involved in all elements of our lives. All people need to be. We need these reminders sometimes to save us from ourselves. Even if they only add to your anxieties, sometimes it's good to remember you can persevere.
By 10 that night, I was much calmer. The problem was in the middle of a solution. The fridge would eventually be delivered. Our tenant would be able to pick up a mini fridge from Target that was already purchased and waiting. The new fridge looked so much like the old fridge. It didn't solve the problem of ruined groceries, and we're sorry for that, and it also doesn't make up for the time without a working fridge, something else we're also apologetic for, but at least we attempted to do the best we could with a problem no one could have seen coming.
On Sunday, our tenant asked about replacing the counter tops, which we will consider for mid to late 2015, assuming nothing else goes wrong in the meantime. She mentioned she liked butcher block and has had them measured , but let's get the new fridge installed first. I think we have spent enough on a rental kitchen for the time being and I need time to forget. I need time for recovery before I get anxious all over again. But I know it will all work out in the end.
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