August 31 – “Sears Saga”

Many years ago we lived in Colorady.  Oops.  Yes, that was a typo, but it sounded kind of fun, so I decided to leave it.  Anyway, when we were there we had some friends who had just installed in their home an amazing invention that I had no idea even existed.  It was a miniature ice-maker.  I don’t mean the kind that’s built into the refrigerator.  I mean all it did was make ice and dump it into a bin built like an average ice chest.  It was great.  Plenty of ice and it was even the smaller kind that fits well into the mouth for chomping.  I decided then that some day we would have one of those in our house.

That day finally came after we purchased our home in Galveston.  We found out Sears sold them, so that became one of our initial renovation purchases.  And it was great.  Well, until it broke down five times in less than a year.  Of course that meant it qualified as a lemon under Texas law.  Sears had to give us a brand new one.  The new one worked really well for us.  After all, we had family gatherings all the time here, and our weekly home Bible study.  It was great.  Until Hurricane Ike.  Of course it went out the door and onto the street with everything else in the house.  Really.  Everything else.  Including the walls, the ceiling, the flooring.  That was a sad, sad day. 

But we got a new icemaker with the remodel after the storm.  We made sure to keep up the maintenance agreement, though.  Didn’t want to take any chances.  A few weeks ago our most recent model suddenly stopped producing ice.  Still ran and made all the right noises, but no ice.  We called the repair guy and a week later he showed up.  They only get to Galveston once a week.  It’s a big ordeal for them to leave Texas.  He did his investigation, and proclaimed, “It’s broke.”  Thank you very much.  I knew that.  But he meant it was really broke.  It needed a new compressor, evaporator, and some kind of valve.  Of course those have to be ordered.  He promised to do that and “see you next week.” 

One heavy box arrived by UPS.  Then two days before the appointment we received a call from Sears to let us know that the rest of the parts “may not arrive in time for the technician to install them on Thursday, so we need to reschedule for the next available appointment.  Let me see when that might be.”  I interrupted at that point and told them the next available time wouldn’t be for another week.  I didn’t want to reschedule.  I asked them to keep us on the list for this week in case the parts did get here, and put us on the schedule for next week as well.  After a long pause I was informed that they couldn’t do that.  Hm.  Didn’t seem so hard to me.  I suggested several scenarios that she could use to make it happen: Schedule the compressor for this week and the rest for next week.  Nope.  Schedule me for a preop visit this week and the real surgery next week.  Not gonna happen.  Schedule me for the repair guy’s lunch break and we’ll just visit for a few minutes while he eats a sandwich.  Uh, no.  None of them seemed to work for her.  She finally agreed to leave us on the schedule for yesterday and just hope the rest of the parts arrived. 

Then came yesterday.  And the repair man never came.  Never called.  So I called back.  Interesting conversation.  Seems I was “supposed to call when the parts arrived.”  Well, that was news to me.  Since I hadn’t called, I had been “removed from the list for today, but I can reschedule you for the next available appointment.  Let me see when that might be.”  OK.  I’d heard that one before.  Next Thursday when they decide to leave Texas again.  I took the appointment and said, “So since I have been waiting three weeks for this repair, I’m sure I can expect him to be at my door at 8 a.m. next Thursday, right.”  Another long pause.  “Well, sir, the next available appointment would be between the hours of one and five.”  Of course it would.  I bantered a bit with him just for fun, knowing that it was hopeless.  Next Thursday afternoon.  Guess we’ll have to rely on the fridge icemaker another week.  Which reminds me, every time we use that thing a mysterious puddle appears from under the fridge.  Same exact place every time.  Wonder how long it would take to get someone out of Texas to look at that? 

Psalms 25:16-18 says, “Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.  The troubles of my heart have multiplied; free me from my anguish.  Look upon my affliction and my distress and take away all my sins.”

Father, thank you for little blessings like ice makers service technicians, and telephone representatives.  Give them a good week, free from complainers.  Amen.