Cottage Life

Last Friday Evening...

8:00 ...Looking forward to a cold beer after retrieving Darling Daughter from Go Train 1.5 hours south, My Beloved grabs a can from fridge - is reminded of our serious need to generate some corks, grudgingly returns it to the fridge and notes unusual warmth of can.

8:10...Darling Daughter sits down at the dinner table noting her milk is not very cold - we dismiss comment as overtired, "I've been alone in the city" type whining.

Saturday Morning...

7:00..air in fridge is warmer than air in cottage - not that unusual this summer but still - fridge is turned up.

9:00...My Beloved and Number One Son make trip to dump (cottaging is so relaxing!?)

9:05...with male members of household out of the way I begin baking dessert and doing prep work for dinner party that evening. Guests will arrive at 4:00.

10:15...Dump run complete, My Beloved checks fridge to see what, I now know - after the oven I am pre heating, the interior of the fridge is the warmest place in the cottage. Our "Admiral Frost Free" has died - 20 years to the day after it was purchased following the sudden and very untimely passing of the ancient fridge that came with the cottage.

10:20...Oven is turned off, all other food prep ceases, we are in the boat headed for the car into town to get a new fridge ASAP.

11:00...Local Farmer, with truck has been located, contacted and will pick up new appliance as soon as he hears we've made a purchase.

11:20...We walk into locally owned appliance store in town ('only interested in supporting local businesses we never even visit the new big box stores starting to sprout up around town)

11:20:30...I point at the smallest white, top mount model I can see, saying "that's it".

11:22...After uber brief consideration of features and prices, we agree to purchase one model up from the smallest to get slightly more freezer space (and a freezer shelf!)

11:25...Local Farmer is called as signature is made on the credit card slip.

11:28...We get back into the car and head for the boat.

12:00...BBQ at cottage is lit as stove is restarted, lunch is made and served.

12:15...cake goes in the oven

12:16...I turn attention to dearly departed Admiral, its unplugged and then I spend an hour emptying its contents into cooler bags, pulling it out, washing the wall and floor behind it and clearing a pathway from front door to now prepared empty fridge space.

12:25... Number One Son does dock start using wake board, Darling Daughter is in observation seat, My Beloved, driving. They disappear out into the lake.

12:45...Just as my wake boarding boy sails off the end of the tow rope towards our dock local farmer calls - new fridge is at the marina.

1:15...In 18" space between the Admiral now standing in the middle of our wee cottage kitchen floor and the counter I continue to prep dinner.

1:40...Boat with fridge and 20-something woman (aka Darling Daughter) standing at bow, holding fridge upright, appear around the point. Boat driver's head is peeking around the side of fridge.

1:45...Next door neighbour and his son (both of whom helped with previous fridge replacement 20 years ago) arrive to help lug the new beast up the 34 steps to the cottage, squeeze it through the doorway that with both screen and front doors removed is just wide enough, push the thing into place and then haul the old Admiral back down to the boat.

1:50...Boat, old fridge 20 something woman, etc. etc. disappear around point en route to marina. Local farmer will pick up old fridge and take to amnesty day at dump (how's that for timing!)

2:15...Darling Daughter is sunning on the dock, Number One Son and My Beloved are rigging sail boat, dinner prep continues apace.

4:00...Dinner prepped, daughter tanned, cake baked, sailing trip complete, boat and rigging re stowed, new fridge humming its way to interior coolness, guests arrive, wine is poured (more corks!)...Cottage Life!

...Now what advenures will this weekend bring?