Derecho Silver Lining

Okay -- so maybe NOBODY needs three freezers in their basement. It's not like I didn't already know that...at some level, anyway....

BUT IT TOOK A DERECHO and five days with no electricity to actually FACE THE TRUTH....
which was the fact that 75% of the stuff in my freezer was too old to even be considered edible....

AND IT'S TIME TO CLEAN THE DAMN FREEZERS OUT...after 40 years of collecting...

And UNPLUG two of them...permanently...

Looking back at that big, horrible job -- I marvel at how easily it happened.  Some problems in life are just like that.  They come up on you bit by bit....And, taken one at a time, it feels like SUCH A GOOD IDEA.

In my case -- BARGAIN SHOPPING was a big factor.  Who doesn't wanna buy six packages of bacon when it's $1.99/lb?  John used to buy HUGE fresh pork roasts when Fareway was having a meat sale....and I always stocked up on $2.50 Healthy Choice dinners.  In November, I would buy two frozen turkeys when they were 59cents a pound.  Then, too, it never hurts to have some extra packages of buns for hambugers or hot dogs.  And, tell me you would turn down the frequent packages of excellent fish filets from my brother-in-law.  About once a month, I'd freeze a loaf of bread about to go stale, ice cream treats for the kids, ...HOLY COW....WHAT WAS I THINKING??

HOW DID I LET THIS HAPPEN?

And, I'm sure the question on your mind is WHY DID WE KEEP BUYING FREEZERS??

Good question, people.  And one that I have been pondering myself...

After five days of no electricity....John helped me throw away a dumpster full of thawed-out-ill-fated-formerly-edible-now-spoiled-foodstuffs....

THAT was the worst part.  Ugh.

But, the SECOND worst part was actually cleaning the now-empty three freezers.  I did what I could -- and, EMPTY -- it was easy to pull the freezers away from the wall and I even scrubbed the floor behind and below...ugh...  But I couldn't do the bottom of the big chest freezer...or the top of the tall upright freezer

Lucky for me -- HELP WAS ON THE WAY....

This is actually freezer #4....at the bottom of our refrigerator/freezer...

Wow.  This is what it looks like...one Day Two of THE ELECTRICITY IS BACK...