I won a toaster at my company Christmas party in 1997. For the past 10 years, this appliance has served me well, living in over ten homes (not counting the months it spent in storage while we were in between homes and when I was on my mission). I'm pretty sure, based on the brand name and quality of my toaster, that it probably cost no more than $20 to begin with ($30 in today's dollars) but that darned thing just kept on plugging away. Its only vice was the little door beneath it that would open to expel the gobs of crumbs that had accumulated since its last cleaning. Well, after a few years of ownership, the door would open but refuse to close, thus leaving its pile of contents on my kitchen counter until I had the urge to clean the mess up. Annoying, but a perfectly good toaster, nonetheless.
A few weeks ago, my toaster malfunctioned while in the middle of a toasting cycle. It protested my pleadings to pop out my piece of toast at the appropriate time. Annoyed? No way. I thought, "Finally! The perfect excuse to get rid of this piece of crap." When Tim came home for lunch that day, repeat scenario. His bagel would not come out without his having to unplug the toaster and yank it out with a fork. Sadly, though, my husband is an engineer. Which means, among other things, that he can fix just about anything. Even the toaster that I wanted to chuck, oh, about five years ago in the interest of my countertop.
He must have noted my displeasure at his having repaired my oldest appliance because within a few days, we had ordered a new one online. For my birthday. Which leads me to my next point.
Whoever said that appliances make cruddy gifts should be glad he is not married to me. I think they're awesome (especially if they replace a mess-making toaster). Being an insanely practical person on most days, my most enjoyable gifts are not those that come from the heart, but those that fulfill a need. (The word need should be interpreted very loosely here.) I know, boring. Here's a short list of my faves:
1. Kitchenaid Stand-mixer - Birthday, 2005
2. Kitchenaid attachments (wheat grinder, pasta maker, juicer) - Christmas 2005
3. Rice cooker - Mother's Day 2006
4. 3 quart saucepan - Birthday 2007
5. Purse (yes, I own only one - I told you I'm practical) - Birthday 2007
That being said, I am a sucker for flowers, on any occasion.
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2 comments:
Did he solder it? In my list of memories I have while being Tim's roommate at BYU, I remember him soldering everything. He probably would've soldered my door closed while I was in it, being that I was probably a pretty annoying housemate. Anyway, its good to see some things haven't changed! "Ya like that!" Its too bad you all couldn't make the trip to Boston, though we're happy to have even just the one of you.
-James
Thankfully, my husband has lost a little bit of the "geek factor" since hooking up with me. Or maybe it's the other way around? I don't think I've seen his soldering iron for years...
Soldering your door closed, now why didn't he think of that?
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