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Author Topic: Murphy's Law...Turkey Style  (Read 5634 times)

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Susan August

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Murphy's Law...Turkey Style
« on: November 22, 2006, 09:47:28 PM »

Hope you will find this an amusing story, even if at my expense.  ???  ;D ;D

I so rarely do any "from scratch" cooking anymore, now specializing mostly in microwave and restaurant meals.  Oh, an occasional workout of my stove top or the grill has been known to happen in any given week.  But just about any meal for two can be cooked up without an oven, except perhaps for a large pizza, which doesn't work too well in the microwave, and, of course, TURKEY!

So, last night I took the pizza for dinner out of the oven, put it on the counter to slice, and then, to my horror, watched the door to my oven slowly open itself and bend backwards, separating the outer part from the inner part of the door.  Running back to the oven, I pushed it back up and looked around trying to figure out what to do, then grabbed a kitchen chair to support the door.  Apparently the 2 tiny screws that hold the whole thing together had worked their way out.  Well, it was too hot to start doing any repairs so I just left the chair there and went into the study after dinner waiting for it to cool down.  About an hour later, an enormous crash brought my husband and I running back to the kitchen.  The chair failed in its mission, slid away from the door and the door fell again.  This time it completely shattered the glass front all over the kitchen floor.

Needless to say, the repair man can't make it till Saturday.  So, I'm dressing the turkey tomorrow morning and carting it over to Mom's house, and we will not be having Thanksgiving at my house this year.  So, for those of you who were planning to join us, you'll have to come over to Mom's instead.   ;)

We have so much to be thankful for that this oven disaster is simply a great story to tell.  I hope that all of your holidays are full of happiness and good health.  And may nothing worse than a broken oven door mar your good times with family.

Susan
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Ingrid

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Re: Murphy's Law...Turkey Style
« Reply #1 on: November 23, 2006, 01:16:21 PM »

Oh, dear!  I'm so sorry.  May you have a wonderful time anyway!

Ingrid
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Elena

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Re: Murphy's Law...Turkey Style
« Reply #2 on: November 23, 2006, 06:51:30 PM »

Just came home from a Thanksgiving with your counterpart - this was a totally clogged up disposal from a surfeit if potatoes skins - however despite no sink, the dinner was fun and food tasty - hope yours was too.  Something about special occasions that brings out the gremlins  ::)
Elena
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Jay Hartzler

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Re: Murphy's Law...Turkey Style
« Reply #3 on: November 23, 2006, 10:13:04 PM »

I've heard that the second busiest profession on the day after Thanksgiving after retail sales is plumbers. Apparently, people tend to overload their disposals with garbage and clog their drains with grease.

Hope everyone's Thanksgiving was fun, fulfilling, and uneventful.
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Brenda B.

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Re: Murphy's Law...Turkey Style
« Reply #4 on: November 24, 2006, 09:18:43 PM »

Well, we had a wonderful holiday.  ;D

I offered to make the turkey. My sister in law is the host these days since we moved to within 3 miles of her. She told me she was expecting 10-12 people. I knew to plan a pound of turkey person, but somehow I managed to double that in my mind and bought a 24 pound bird.

My sister-in-law's son and his wife just had grandbaby #1 in June.  Grandparents have travelled to GA to see baby several times, but the "kids" are young and still getting their feet so haven't made it up here. They had hoped to for the holiday but realized they really needed to stay home and work, needed the money. This is the only great grandchild (of 4) my father in law has yet to meet.

Well, suprise, suprise, the kids and baby showed up when they realized they could do the drive (instead of fly) and still make it home to work the weekend if they left early Fri.  So that was 2 more people.

Then when we arrived (my I was proud of that 24 pound bird that turned out brown and delicious!) it turned out yet two more people were showing up. So all in all there were 16 plus baby. Crowded but great company. It was a great evening. We even got to bring home some of the turkey for left overs (a treat we haven't gotten in previous years when we didn't fix the turkey).

Today I braved the crowds, got an excellent deal on a razor for the DH (I broke his so, I owe him) and got found great toys for my sister's kids.  I just finished baking a batch of Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies. (Do a search on FoodNetwork.com, they're worth the effort of made from scratch cookies! I saw them on "Ham on the Street" last weekend.)

It's been a productive day.  ;D
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Susan August

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Re: Murphy's Law...Turkey Style
« Reply #5 on: November 25, 2006, 04:07:30 PM »

We had a wonderful holiday, as well, and I should still be feeling thankful, but then the repair man showed up today and told me that he couldn't get the parts for my oven door.  Now, really...this oven is only 13 years old and works perfectly, except for a missing door!   ???

So, now I'm trying to find the parts myself, with the hope that he just didn't try very hard.  Repair Clinic tells me that you can't order a 'door', but have to specify all the parts.  Gee whiz, I thought that's why I paid $70 to Sears repair to help me out.  How annoying!  Now I'm feeling grouchy instead of thankful.  Grrrr!

Susan
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Jonathon

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Re: Murphy's Law...Turkey Style
« Reply #6 on: November 25, 2006, 10:23:21 PM »

So, now I'm trying to find the parts myself, with the hope that he just didn't try very hard.  Repair Clinic tells me that you can't order a 'door', but have to specify all the parts.  Susan

If you still have the owners manual for the oven, it will have a list of parts with identifying numbers.  Hopefully you're a "saver"like me.  I  have manuals for things I don't even have anymore.
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penny

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Re: Murphy's Law...Turkey Style
« Reply #7 on: November 26, 2006, 03:28:10 AM »

Oh, Susan, your oven story (reality genre, as is the trend nowadays) - was beautifully written!

And I can fully emphasize with these mini (or maxi) kitchen disasters occuring at times of holidays or celebrations. My oven died a couple of years ago during our high holidays, in the midst of all the baking I usually do. It was a long and prolonged death (it worked very slowly for years, baking stuff 2 to 3 times slower than was supposed to) and good riddance. I could onlt get a new one after the holdays. Now, barely two years later, the new one makes so much noise you can barely have a conversation in the kitchen...

Penny
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dhparker

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Re: Murphy's Law...Turkey Style
« Reply #8 on: November 26, 2006, 03:07:10 PM »

Susan, sorry you've had so much trouble.  Those things do seem to know just when we need them most.

Penny, I've been trying to imagine what kind of loud noises an oven makes.  Not that I doubt you, I've just never heard a noisy oven.  I should be counting my blessings about that, I guess.  ;D
« Last Edit: November 26, 2006, 03:09:29 PM by dhparker »
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Susan August

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Re: Murphy's Law...Turkey Style
« Reply #9 on: November 26, 2006, 09:11:15 PM »

Well, folks, here's the latest on my oven.  I discovered that the parts for my door are actually accessible and orderable (OK, so I made that word up!) at Sears.  Lo and behold, Sears is the company who sent this clueless repair man to me for $70!  So, I emailed them a note in response to my service confirmation with my thoughts on the situation (all in CAPS, too!).  I will call them tomorrow and try to get some satisfaction.  Will let you know how I do....just in case anyone else's appliances ever breakdown and you are tempted to call Sears...thinking that they should be reliable!  I don't often get riled up like this over an appliance, but this guy so obviously didn't want to be the least bit helpful. 

Stay tuned!  Penny, is your oven convection?  I also wonder why it makes noise.

Susan
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Jonathon

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Re: Murphy's Law...Turkey Style
« Reply #10 on: November 26, 2006, 10:31:40 PM »

Oh, Susan, your oven story (reality genre, as is the trend nowadays) - was beautifully written!
I could onlt get a new one after the holdays. Now, barely two years later, the new one makes so much noise you can barely have a conversation in the kitchen...
Penny

The only thing noisy on my oven is the timer.  Could someone have turned it on and never turned it off again?  That usually requires turning the red hand on the clock (digital I wouldn't know about, since mine is manual) up to 12.  Hope this helps.
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Michele Viney

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Re: Murphy's Law...Turkey Style
« Reply #11 on: November 27, 2006, 04:48:18 AM »

Penny

Is your oven a "fan-assisted" oven? of so it could be that the fan is clogged by something. I remember our gas boiler started to make this terrible noise. When the guy came out to fix it it took him all of two minutes to free the fan and set it running more freely with a bit of WD40. I wouldn't have minded except this is something I could have done myself - the WD40 included - and saved myself the 70 Euro!

Hope this helps

Michele
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Susan August

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Re: Murphy's Law...Turkey Style....aka, It Pays to Complain!!!!
« Reply #12 on: November 28, 2006, 05:13:46 PM »

Aaaah, a happy ending!  Sears sent out an 'experienced' technician today who proceeded to reassemble my door with the 2 screws that vaporized before Thanksgiving and we now have a functional oven!  The glass panel which shattered was still 'unavailable' to order, but the technician said that if I found one I could install it myself and he showed me how.  He thought I might have to go to the manufacturer to get it.  Well, the funny thing is that the only place that I could special order it is Sears!!  They don't allow their technicians to order it, but I just ordered it on-line from them.  The original manufacturer(Magic Chef/Maytag) would not let me order it!  And the cost was only $72, after the first repairman said it would be "at least $300."

Experience is a wonderful thing.  This guy said he's been doing this for 39 years, and while he was fixing my oven he was on the phone giving advice to someone about how to set up their computer ethernet connection, too.  Apparently, his specialty is electronic appliances...my poor oven door was a step down for him.   :-\

Now, if only he could have fixed my dishwasher, too.  LOL.  Penny, I'd send him your way, but I doubt they cover your territory!   ;)

Susan
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Elena

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Re: Murphy's Law...Turkey Style
« Reply #13 on: November 28, 2006, 06:51:00 PM »

I am delighted with your happy ending - it matches my experience with Sears.  They sold me a gas cooktop that the manufacturer hadn't quite finished testing.  I finished the testing for them, and in the process met ALL the technicians they had who could possibly help - it was, logically enough, the last one, the one with umpteen years of experience who got on the phone with the manufacturer and found they had just completed fabricating a new part they said would work.  A really good technician is a great detective  :D

Nice to be retired with the time to patiently smile and keep insisting.

Elena
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Susan August

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Re: Murphy's Law...Turkey Style
« Reply #14 on: November 28, 2006, 08:06:54 PM »

Hmmm, maybe there's a new idea for a mystery protagonist.  The appliance detective!!  Only slightly less fun than the geriatric prostitute!  Oh, if only I had the time and patience to follow up on all the ideas we generate here.

Susan
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