A refreshing change

Let's just say at the outset that the Hero and I need to get out more. Until that time, we will continue to be enthralled with such mundane things as our new refrigerator, which recently came to live with us. I will not say that we have been enthralled to the point that we have turned down social invitations since we have had it, but this could be due to the fact that we have not received any social invitations since we have had it.


The new refrigerator beguiles us with its sleekness, its spaciousness, and above all its doors that can be be flung wide open to reveal everything inside at once. This compares with our previous refrigerator, whose doors opened just enough to allow a glimpse of a single slice of cheese on the second shelf before shutting abruptly. This required deftness of fingers to achieve the returning or retrieving of wanted items.


With the new fridge, we can stand in front of it with the doors wide open for however long we want.* We can open every bin, slide out every drawer, all at the same time, admiring the produce as if we are at a farmer's market. 


[*Or for 3 minutes, which is when the door alarm sounds, or for 2.7 seconds, which is when we hear a paternal voice in our head saying, "CLOSE THAT REFRIGERATOR DOOR! YOU'RE WASTING ELECTRICITY!"]


We make up reasons to open the fridge and the freezer, just so we can enjoy the new-found ease of doing so, and to enjoy our organization.


"Uh, what are you getting in there?" one of us will say when we hear the refrigerator door open.


"Um, ice cream."


"Well, you won't find it in the fridge."


There are downsides to the new fridge, of course. My concern for preserving the pristine, shiny exterior leads to constant vigilance about smudges. A cloth is kept nearby to immediately wipe out any mark. "Be careful," I say to the Hero. "Here, put these gloves on before you open the door."


Our old refrigerator boasted numerous family pictures, cartoons, and other items that had been there so long we didn't even recognize some of the pictures ("Isn't that one of your relatives?" "I don't think so. Must be one of yours."). These have all gone into a drawer somewhere. The new fridge cannot be sullied.


The Hero's only regret is that our model did not come equipped with a touchscreen computer, which would have stored all our recipes, itemized what we are out of, allowed us to make grocery lists, inquired whether we have eaten our seven servings of fruits and vegetables for the day, reminded us for goodness' sake not to keep the door open so long, etc. 


On second thought, maybe it's good to be lacking some features.