Saturday, August 25, 2007

Am I Shallow? Perhaps.

Goodbye old fridge. Hello to a beautiful new friend, gleaming stainless steel on the outside, clear and clean on the inside.
In the ten years that I've been married, this is the first fridge we've had that didn't come out of the Pennysaver. And it makes me smile every time I pass it. With my new dishwasher and this fridge, I can almost pretend that I am the host of my own cooking show or a contestant on Top Chef. Of course, that means overlooking the outdated flooring, oven, range, microwave, countertop, cabinets--essentially everything else in my kitchen--but when I catch a glimpse of my newest acquisitions, those other things fade away.

My kids love that our new fridge is actually big enough to keep the Brita full of water cold. I love that I can see all the leftovers without having to squat down and dig around.


Jared will love the new electricity bills, since we just replaced two old fridges (one in the garage and one in the kitchen) with one energy efficient wonder. He also appreciates that I had to get rid of the basket full of clutter that used to sit on top of the fridge because it won't fit anymore.
I did call Christine to ask her what I should do about my newest obsession of keeping the appliances free of fingerprints and smudges. She is highly qualified to answer this question, having a degree in Interior Design and all the accompanying credentials and experience, besides owning a few stainless steel appliances of her own (and four darling kidlets). Alas, she couldn't come up with a solution either, but assured me that I might soon be able to tolerate fingerprints for an entire afternoon before wiping down the fridge after the kids go to bed. I pondered on the internal struggle going on between the woman who loves shiny, sparkly, clean, and looks-like-a-cooking-show-or-magazine-layout everything and the mother who really wants her kids to grow up in a home where they are comfortable. Surely it would be unreasonable to make touching the fridge off limits. Do you think it would be neurotic to require the entire family to wear gloves? You don't have to answer that.

But even with the compulsive wiping down of my new treasures, I don't regret choosing them one bit. Nor do I regret having so many small hands around who will surely touch them as soon as I finish wiping. Both things of beauty and sticky-fingered children are more than worth the extra effort. And if loving my kitchen appliances makes me shallow, I guess I will have to live with that.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

It looks great ... Its funny what can make you happy after 10 years of marriage... I cant believe how big it is inside enjoy it you desrve it..
Mandy

McD said...

I am going to have to find a way to block my wife from ever, ever finding this blog. That thing is amazing. It reminds me of the starship they fly in the newer Star Wars episodes. Yea for you. Good luck keeping them clean. I can't ever keep them clean at work.

Michal said...

it does have a rather sci-fi look to it, doesn't it? i always wanted to be an astronaut. ok, not really, but the boys are currently turning the box into a very large spaceship--does that count?
and, since you surely have a great discount on such appliances, mcd, you should most definitely get one for wifey.

Michal said...

mandy,
this fridge will probably take us to our 20th anniversary (i hope jared's not reading or he'll hold me to it.) but i suppose that it is big enough and built to last;)

Anonymous said...

You get a frig, the boys get a space ship and Jared gets a lower electric bill, does life get any better? Only if you don't run out of gas. (The chicken was worth the wait)
Love,
Papa

Michal said...

dad,
glad that you see why this is such a happy event! that chicken was a disappointment--now i'll have to try the technique of soda-can chicken again, making sure we have enough propane, before we can rule out that method of grilling. oh, well. maybe for labor day at your house!

Deborah Gamble said...

Is your refrigerator counter depth? If so, then you are shallow. But in a good way. I want one of those new shallow stainless steel refrigerator.

Michal said...

debbie,
i'm afraid that my fridge is not counter-depth, unlike christine's. i guess the practical side just got the better of me and i felt like i needed the extra cubic feet for our family. so, even if it's not quite as stylish as those oh-so-delicious counter depth beauties, it will hold more cheesecakes!

Anonymous said...

I don't have stainless steal appliances, but our new house has corian countertops that leave water spots unless they are wiped completely dry. I share in the wipe-down neurosis. Would it be unreasonable to make putting wet things on the counter off limits?

Michal said...

allison,
just tell your husband that he's not allowed to touch the counter tops period. claim your territory! if you train him now, you won't have the problems i have with the other people in my house thinking that they should be able to touch things in the kitchen! as if it is their house as well as mine!

Deborah Gamble said...

Michal,

More cheesecakes? I'm staying with you next time I visit Christine and her counter-depth, non-cheesecake holding refrigerator.

Michal said...

debbie,
just give me a heads up the next time you come to town and i'll see to it that christine's shallow fridge has a cheesecake in it!