There have been numerous studies done which suggest that many forms of life communicate with one another. It is well documented that animals react quickly to signals from other animals. A flower uses color and scent to attract an insect.
Even the single-cell amoeba communicates by means of a chemical discharge so communication may be chemical, visual, or by sound and touch. I am convinced, after a lifetime of independent study, that appliances also have found a way to converse with one another.
How else to explain that whenever Val was away on a business trip, one or more appliances either refused to operate in a well-behaved manner or broke down completely?
A more recent example occurred immediately after our basement flooded. As if I didn’t have enough problems with a soggy basement and Christmas guests arriving, the refrigerator ice-maker said to the dishwasher, "Let’s go on strike" and the self-cleaning mechanism on the oven decided to join the party and refused to do one more self-clean.
Statistically speaking, all this occurring at once, could not be merely accidental. Admittedly, we belatedly discovered that the dishwasher was not actually broken, but not until I had hand-washed and dried loads of dishes for several days and made an appointment (cost for a look-see diagnosis only, $109) with Sears repair service.
In the nick of time, a friend told me about Rocky’s Appliance Service, (203) 481-9654, and after I explained the problem by phone, Rocky suggested we check to see if the wall switch was on. Elementary, but we hadn’t thought of it!
Seems that son, Michael, in using the vacuum, had turned off the wall switch to the dishwasher. One problem solved thanks to honest Rocky — a white knight, in my book.
The ice-maker did require a service call, but it was still under the refrigerator’s one-year warranty. However, the stove, a 20-year-old Jen-Air, has parts which are no longer available, so I will have to return to the disagreeable task of oven cleaning or replace the entire stove.
Personally, I blame the foregoing appliance strike on the furnace dehumidifier, which became uncooperative last month. When we decided to ignore it for the time being, I am convinced it became disgruntled and instigated the entire appliance revolt.
I can’t recall my parents ever replacing any of the household appliances when I was growing up. True, they were all less complicated in design, but they were also built to last. Starting way back in 1927 until the 1980s, Zenith was known for their slogan, "The quality goes in before the name goes on."
Whatever happened to that kind of pride in workmanship? Proof that most of today’s appliances have built-in obsolescence is that most service contracts are for one year only.
The next time one of the fancy gizmos on one of the appliances refuses to operate, I’ll use the method of communication common to the mountain gorilla. When angered, they simply stick out their tongues. Even if the appliance doesn’t quite get the message, I’ll feel a lot better.
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