I put a mug of water in the microwave the other day, and when I pressed the “two,” it began to spark like the fourth if July and make my lights blink.
…So I stopped it.
…Then, because I’m a human, I tried it again.
It was a bad idea the first time, so the second really didn’t work out well either. There was smoke. A small fire…whatever..I “lived.” This is the same trial and error the Cavemen went through, (sorta), so…at least I’m keeping to tradition in our historic breed of stupidity.
…When I reported the episode on FB (as I do most of my major life travesties), my Uncle had the best conclusion: I have too much iron in my water, and the thing-a-ma-bobs that zap the do-hickeys knew it. The water broke it. Works for me. As long as I’m not to blame.
Actually, I’m pretty surprised it’s lasted this long, truth be told. I’ve been through two T.V.’s., three DVD players, four coffee pots, two toasters, three apartments and eleven years with this one piece of kitchen equipment. And I’ve used it at least three times a day, for all those years. That really ads up.
…When we were doing that film shoot last month, the house we were staying at had no microwave at all, and it was a total baffelment to us. Over and over again. All weekend.
“But how do you defrost meat you forgot to take out of the freezer?”
“How do you make just one mug of tea?”
“…Or warm up the left-overs?”
…I’m told all this can be accomplished on a stove as well, but that is just nonsense. Why worry a stove over twenty minutes, when you can fix any kitchen problem you have with a microwave in only a buck-thirty? You need some melted butter? It can do that! Warm the syrup? I’m on it! Heat the beans? No problemo! Steam the tortillas? Si!
Maybe this is a huge part of why I’m not a Master Chef right now; but my microwave has been my key mode of eating-salvation since the day I first packed up my room and moved out on my own. With theatre schedules and long rehearsals and double jobs and early mornings paired with late “nights” (actually ending at dawn)…it is the ONLY way I have managed to eat at home for most of my adult life, on the kind of manic schedules that I run on. And I ain’t the only one! I know this because of the instant empathetic panic of my friends upon viewing my FB post…which equalled four offers for a free replacement within — I am not kidding you — three minutes of posting.
Three. Minutes.
…People have incurable diseases, a bad kidney, need bone marrow and even just blood donations on a daily basis (we are told)…but when something really fucked up, (like a broken microwave) happens, by God…people will step up!!!
…Incidentally, I am not making fun of said people (who are lovely) or the above medical emergent needs. I am only admitting to my own part of slightly exaggerating the woe undertaken by the “inconvenience” of having no microwave for twenty-four hours. I mean…I managed to reheat those take-out, left-overs from the “M” wine-and-dine-night, just fine. But it did take twenty whole minutes. And I kinda burnt some stuff on accident.
…Which never woulda happened with my “old friend.”
Never. Woulda. Happened.
~D
P.S. A very special thanks to S.M. and J.M…for their much appreciated replacement donation. I owe you both some whiskey.
