Where on earth have I been? I know, Tracy, I know.
So this class I was in ended after 8 long months, and I did my presentation. I felt panicked and unprepared, and while presenting with my partner, my heart pounded uncontrollably every time I stopped talking, but people told me I was one of the best presenters, and that I looked extremely comfortable up there, so haha! Score!
If it wasn't enough to be in the ceremony as well as running it, we also had kind of an tour afterwards, hocking our education wares. That was a first and we were all run down and exhausted, but we got through the day. The next workday was my birthday and a full day retreat for our new service. Then the writer-editor job was open for only three more days after that, so you know that's when I did the bulk of my resume. I finished the resume and started writing the cover letter only to realize that THAT'S the crucial part because I can tell them I can write or I can show them. So that's where I've been lately. And tennis and kickball and friends and a dog! and this guy I met online that is pretty awesome, actually... trying not to jinx it...
but I came here to tell you about appliances. I can just hear you now: "Oh yeah, we don't want to hear about the GUY, tell us about the appliances!" As you wish.
I re-signed my lease and asked the lovely apartment people what the incentive would be this time.
"Oh, we're not really doing that anymore."
"I understand," I said. "So what's my incentive going to be?"
They offered to either A) replace my carpets or B) upgrade my appliances. Now, why on earth would I accept new carpets? My carpet has hosted two leaky dogs and cat with thyroid problems- it is trashed. It would be lovely to get new carpet, but I still have a diabetic dog with a tiny bladder and a cat with increasingly improved liver function, and the three of us would destroy a new carpet quickly. The apartment people already have to replace the carpets when I move out if they're 5 years old. If they replace them now, I'LL have to pay for them. To hell with that. I'll take the upgraded appliances.
"Now, these won't be new- they'll be newER appliances from another unit."
Fine. My appliances cannot be any less than 30 years old. My oven is so old that it doesn't have a clock. It doesn't even have a timer. The door makes a huge bang when you open it. The fridge was so loud that friends would search around for the noise. When they realized it was the fridge, they'd ask, "Is it gonna die?" I would describe the dishwasher as crusty.
They all worked, so I didn't care- I just bought a timer. And I didn't care that I was getting new-to-me appliances- moving into the 90s is right about where my technology is right now- I was pleased. So imagine how pleased I was when I walked in and found the maintenance guy installing brand new appliances!!! He explained to me that he's the one who talked them into it, because he gets tired of replacing somebody's broken appliance with a newER appliance that's just broken in a different way, and he has to come back and fix that problem. They get mad at him and it wastes everybody's time, so just put in new appliances and keep your customers happy. Hell yeah!
My new fridge is bigger and clean and still has a couple styrofoam balls clinging to it. There is a SHELF in the FREEZER. It took me almost five years to figure out that I needed a shelf to stop the avalanche, and I went out with measurements and bought a shelf to fit in my freezer and only got to use that for like two months and this freezer comes with one!!! I am floored. There is room for everything and the bottom shelf in the fridge is clear, so I can see exactly what beers are in the crisper. He even changed the door so I don't have to go into the dining room to open the fridge.
The dishwasher is the prettiest damn thing I have seen in some time, and every time I pull the racks out I swoon at how smooth they are. It feels like when I got to keep Amy's dollhouse for a while and it had a dishwasher with little racks that pulled out and you could put one tiny plate on each rack. I was fascinated, and fake washed the dishes a lot. I am swooning over this dishwasher. It is amazing and I am in love with it.
But wait... the oven. The oven has a digital clock, guys. There are two digital clocks in my kitchen now, and one extra timer, which means I can have one timer on for the laundry and one for the bread that I will be baking from scratch in my brand new oven AND steam some veggies in the microwave all at the same time.
On the morning that the maintenance guys were coming to replace the appliances, I was all proud of myself for clearing a path to the kitchen. Then I realized there were still dishes in the dishwasher, pans, in the oven drawer, and magnets all over my fridge. I hustled around grabbing everything and completely forgot the oven hood, where I had a Gaudi magnet holding up a strip of paper that says
I am worthy of love.
This guy had taken it off the old hood and put it up on the new one. ♥
I have been feeling very loved and very fortunate lately. I don't know why all of these wonderful things are happening, but I am really, really grateful.
