"All I Wanted Was a Darn Refrigerator"

LG Industries

Copyright © 2020

by Ralph F. Couey

We're all trading stories these days as to how life has changed with the Pandemic.  To this point, I've been focused on the obvious things, such as masks, distancing, large gatherings, and the daily drumbeat of statistics.  But there are other ways in which the influence has been felt.

A few days ago, the power went out in Pearl City about 2:30 in the morning.  I was awakened by the sudden silence from the grumbly air conditioner in our bedroom.  The power was down for about four hours.  Now, this happened back in January or February and the result was a fried thermostat in one of the refrigerators (the one in the rec room).  We lost a couple hundred dollars of food from that episode.  For some reason, I had allowed myself to forget that particular outcome.  It was two days later when I opened the freezer door, and realized what had happened.  In my defense, I had spent a good portion of those days trying to get all of the electronics back up and running, and interfacing with the cable company about a recalcitrant DVR.  (And let me tell you how much fun THAT was...)  This power outage was different than the last.  All our devices -- computers, modems, routers, external drives, the television, and those pesky microwave clocks -- had to be restarted, reset, and rebooted not once, but multiple times before they became fully functional.  Most modern electronics are supposed to be protected from events like this, but for whatever reason, it took extra effort this time.  Not to mention the aggravation.  

I called the appliance repair folks and was told that he couldn't come out for another three days.  I moved as much of the expensive food (is there any other kind?) into the kitchen freezer.  I managed to save a lot of it, but we still ended up trashing about $300 of defrosted food.   Thankfully, this happened the eve of trash day.

Fast forward to today.  Cheryl and I discussed the situation and decided that perhaps the best solution would be to purchase a new fridge, one that perhaps wouldn't be as susceptible to power outages.  The closest place is Home Depot, where we found a unit (pictured above) for a really good price that fit the hole in which the current one sits.  Since there are no water lines for either fridge, there was no reason to get one with an ice maker or water spigot.  A very basic, simple refrigerator.  Easy, right?

Now, the bad news.  

Because of changes in the way manufacturing works in this new world, there wasn't anything in stock, here or across the canal in the mainland.  Apparently, the unit doesn't get built until its paid for, and then it would be shipped.  Total time? about six to eight weeks.  Yes, I said weeks.  We went ahead and paid, and decided that we would let the appliance repair guy fix the existing unit and pray that it stays functional until arrival of its prodigal replacement.

The other issue involved the original jalousie windows that came with the house some 60 years ago.  In case you don't know, this is a jalousie:

It's an excellent window for the tropics.  It allows a much freer movement of air than a standard double-hung.  It's good enough to keep the torrential rains out, and since there's no snowy winter to worry about, it's R rating is happily irrelevant.

Over time however, the aluminum frames and levers have deteriorated to the point where we can only open and close them by grabbing the glass itself and raising or lowering it into position.  Didn't want to think about what might happen in the glass splintered in my hand.  We also have been wanting to install an air conditioner, but you can't really put one in a jalousie window, not only for the obvious fitment problem, but that those panes can't be closed tight enough to keep the cool air from escaping outside.  We contacted a franchise company, one we've worked with happily on two other occasions.  We got a good price on replacing windows in the front part of the house, and by closing doors, we could finally have a comfortable oasis in a house that regularly sees indoor temps of 95 degrees or higher.

Now, the bad news.

Again, the new supply chain dynamics meant that we would not see our new windows for twelve weeks.  Three months. 90-odd days.  Near Christmas.

It was never this bad before.  Even on an island where you had to source goods from the mainland, you never had to wait more that 2 or 3 weeks to get what you needed.  Less than that for common items.  But in asking and studying, it seems that this is the new norm.  With a reduced workforce, and the fiscal dangers of inventory, it would seem that factories are now "make on demand."  Plus, if a product is ordered, and somebody in that facility gets COVID-19, the plant gets shut down for at least two weeks for quarantine and sanitization, adding even more time to delivery.  

We watch the news, read the articles, glance at the numbers, and listen to the meaningless and irresponsible palaver of two political parties in an election year, and still feel distanced from the problem.  However, it only takes something as prosaic as buying an appliance to feel the impact of the Pandemic, right in the forehead.  

Earlier, I wrote a piece named "Mourning Normal" in which I grew nostalgic for the world that has definitely been left behind.  This experience over this week has re-awakened  the yearning within for a better time, when you didn't have to wait a quarter of a year for an appliance.  The Pandemic has sculpted a new reality for us, one that is far from comfortable.  Like I wrote, it seems that this is going to be with us for the foreseeable future, thus the normal we seek is no more.  Normal is dead.  Long live the New Normal.  

Nobody can predict the failure of a major appliance, or a vehicle, so it's not something you can plan.  And when a refrigerator fails, not only are you out the appliance, but also the food stored inside.  And who likes to buy groceries twice?  We could put stuff in a cooler with ice, but for two months?  Man, all I wanted was a new fridge!

We are in a new environment, one that will require us to adapt.  That means dropping the slide rule by which things like manufacturing and delivery used to be measured, and taking up the new context.  So, the next time I need something replaced, and told that the delivery will be months away, I will not greet that news with squinty-eyed disbelief, but rather with a sagacious nod, and a measured, "Sounds good."

I don't like it, but the situation is completely out of my control, so all I can do is accept and move on.  It feels a bit like surrender, which I dislike even more.  So, this is the new world; the new normal, with a whole new set of expectations.

I guess the only other thing to say, is "Welcome to Planet Pandemic."