Home maintenance follies

Subtitled: "Everything takes longer than it takes."

The little countertop microwave that I'd had for ages finally zapped its last zap last November. No big deal - it was cheap when I got it twenty years ago. So I look at the counter space it took up, and I look at the unused space over the stove, and I have the brilliant idea to get an over-the-stove microwave for the next one. So, in November, the little dead microwave goes in the dumpster, and days are numbered for the old hood over the range:

So I browse through Consumer Reports as I always do, and go over to Home Depot online and buy a new over-the-stove microwave with delivery and installation (~$300). In a couple of weeks, the guys come over with the new microwave, unbox it, take out the old vent, and stop cold. Nope, won't touch another thing. We need a new electrical outlet wired into the cabinet above before they will do anything, even though there are two outlets already adjacent to the stove which have worked just fine for the microwave in the past.

So we call the electricians, wait another couple of weeks, and they finally come and have to run a complete new line from the fuse box through the kitchen ceiling and then finally we have a new outlet inside the cabinet. Which is useful for plugging in the microwave and exactly nothing else. Another $500.

Meanwhile the new microwave is sitting on our counter, where we are using it daily, and it occupies all but about the front 2 inches of counter space. We call the Home Depot guys back, and after another couple weeks they return to attempt a re-install. Except they come in, drill two holes, hit cinderblock (which is between every unit as a firewall) and refuse to do any more, saying they're not allowed to do anything with the cinderblock. They walk out. Naturally, they do NOT provide us with one of their consumer (dis)satisfaction surveys they're always prompting us to fill out at other times.

So we search and search for an independent contractor who will do the job, and wait another 6 or 8 weeks until they come over. Meanwhile we have almost no counter space and have resorted to using the stove as our only free piece of counter.

FINALLY, today, after 3 months, and another $100 (yes, that's a total of $900), we have success:


Hooray! A fully-installed microwave, AND a big new piece of free, unused, empty countertop!

I'm in housewife nirvana. I think that means it's time to make some Jell-o Jigglers for my kids.