Stories

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So it turns out my wallet was found. It was upstairs in the room I stayed at Guy's house, under the bed. This I will never understand as long as I live. How it got up there and under the bed no less, will be beyond me, especially since I found it was missing before I ever went upstairs. I even looked under the bed myself looking everywhere. So what was that all about?

Seen him at the lake for years; very dark and swarthy. The most unfriendly guy out there. He is some kind of Latin. His wife is German and of the most sweet, smiling a charming disposition. But this guy is rude. Jack told me he is his neighbor and a really nice guy, but maybe he don't like me. Standing in line at the store, buying some beer, so needed a basket as a twelve pack is heavy for me. Pushed my basket to the left in the wide aisle, and the guy in front of me grabs it. I say, "You are taking my basket", and it was then that I recognized that it was the swarthy him. He says, "No it is my basket". "No" I says, "I used it for my beer, which I put on the conveyer". He says, "Where is mine?" I say, "I am going to have to fight you for it". He says, "No you would beat me". Then he said to a guy doing his bagging, you took my basket. That guy said no. I say, "I am too old and you are younger than me". Then he said to me, "Older than me I don't think so". I said, "I am near seventy". He said, I am eighty-four. "Oh my God" I said, "I thought you were about sixty-five". Well he said, "I only have two items. I don't need the basket". I think we are friends now. Eighty-four?

The refrigerator is on the fritz. It was five in the morning of the beginning of daylight savings fall-back. The refrigerator began to more of less roar. I had to get up and unplug it. The compressor has for a couple of years been making all kinds of thumping noises when turning off; shakes the whole refrigerator. Had been especially violent of late, but didn't pay any attention, because it gets bad for months then better. No more sleeping now; all the scenarios what to do. May have to go get a new refrigerator in the daytime. Sunday no money the banks are closed. Where to go?

Got up for breakfast and plugged in the refrigerator and it was alright. Thank God I don't have to deal with that. That feeling of 'all is right with world' lasted about five minutes; the noise was unbearable. Tried plugging and unplugging it. Then it occurred to me it was the vibration. I spent about a half hour jacking it around and up and off the floor, with boards under it and foam in places. I tilted it different ways. Then with all that, I discovered that by prying up the right back corner with a dowel rod, so it is held in that particular position, the noise was reduced by half and bearable. So at least it works and I can get by for awhile.

This refrigerator runs 80% of the time. Imagine the electricity. Back awhile, I thought there was something wrong with it. I washed the coils as best I could being inaccessible underneath. The first refrigerators used to have the cooling on top in the open air. Guess for looks they put them behind, next to the wall, or underneath, the least efficient way to go. But it looks better, sells better because who is going to know. I called the company a year ago. He said it is made to run 80% of the time.

Did some Google research. Want 'Energy Star' efficiency and quiet. Found what I wanted right away. One problem - who could afford it? Democratic capitalism, democracy for the rich, and the more rich one is the more choices and more democracy. The fascism of poverty, a not often mentioned proposition.

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