while we're waiting

Let's see ... what's new?

I think I already mentioned that our refrigerator and freezer broke and that we've been living out of coolers for over a week.

I may have also mentioned that the repairman came by on Tuesday to fix the refrigerator and freezer and told us that we required a new compressor, which would need to be special ordered and he would come out and put the new compressor in - once it arrived.

Sometime next week.

When Charlie asked if replacing the compressor was something he could do, the technician asked if Charlie had ever welded or soldered or braised, and when I chimed in that Charlie had braised a lamb - the guy snorted and said he should probably do the work.

It will be several more days before our refrigerator is repaired, and until then - we're making daily trips to the grocery store to pick up "miscellaneous" items like two gallons of milk and a half a gallon of orange juice, because we don't have the space to store it.

Did I mention that our stereo died and we've been without music for the past month, and the stereo that Charlie wants is on back order?

Or, that our relatively new Macintosh computer has been crashing on us, daily, for the past week, and even though Charlie spent an hour on the phone yesterday with an "Apple Genius" the computer is still crashing, randomly throughout the day?

If it wasn't for "Blogger's" new feature of "autosaving" posts ... this particular one would have taken me two days to write.

How 'bout that our dishwasher, for the fifth time in less than five months, broke again, today?

When I called and told the Kitchen Aid representative our "story" adding in that I have two and a half year old triplets and am nine months pregnant and have family in town for the next month and that we are currently running our dishwasher twice a day and that I didn't know if I should scream or cry or laugh ... she told me that she would have someone here first thing Monday morning to complete the repair. She wondered how it was possible that I wasn't yelling and threatening lawsuits and I told her I tried that last time and it didn't work.

Alas, our troubles are not only limited to appliances and electronic equipment.

Yesterday morning, we woke up to Molly hacking.

Unlike hacking we'd ever heard before.

Charlie took her to the vet and based on a preliminary examination, the doctor thought that she might have congestive heart failure. But, he wanted to run a series of "tests" and would get a diagnosis to us by the end of the day.

All day yesterday, we were glum and absolutely certain that the phone would ring and tell us that our faithful dog of 12.5-years would need to be euthanized.

Throughout the day, the children would look at us with big eyes and worried expressions and inquire "Where Molly? Molly sick? Molly need boo-boo bunny?"

At 4 PM, the vet finally called with the results.

Molly has a severe case of bronchitis.

BRONCHITIS.

I've never heard of a dog having bronchitis before. But it's definitely curable, for the bargain basement price of $320.71.

When we're not on the phone with customer service representatives, or shuttling back and forth with doctor appointments, or playing at the local water park, we're spending an exorbitant amount of time sitting on the potty.

Thus far, nothing has happened during these potty events. But it provides us an excellent opportunity to sit and contemplate what will break next.

With any luck - it will be my water.