Appliance Delivery (plus Some Fun in the Mud)

Friday, February 15th was a big day for noTTafarm! I took the day off so we could take delivery of our new washer/dryer, range, and refrigerator. The crew from Nebraska Furniture Mart arrived right on time but I was a little surprised to see them drive the truck on the lower part of the driveway, narrowly clearing the cottonwood branch that hangs low over that section. I was even more excited to see the truck head straight for the dirt near the barn so he could back in to the driveway.  The wheels spinning in the mud was the first sign that something may have gone wrong.

But - being professionals, the three-man crew hopped out of the truck and quickly took the washer upstairs. After some consultation with Scott, they decided to stack the dryer on top of the washer so the hoses and cords and such would work better. The lack of a stacking kit could easily be taken care of but we didn't realize that we had ordered a steam dryer so they're was a little bit of head-scratching about what to do.  

While the washer discussion ensued, two of the delivery guys brought in the range. Scott was relieved to see that it would indeed fit in the space allotted - but his joy was shortlived. The order did not reflect that we needed a propane gas kit rather than a standard natural gas connection. NFM policy dictates that the LP kit be installed at the warehouse...so my beautiful Cafe Range went back on the truck and will return to us next week.

Bringing in the GE Cafe Dual Fuel Range

Unpacked and then Repacked . . . 

With one guy (let's call him Larry) in the house to hook up the refrigerator's ice maker, the other two (one guy is Shawn...the other guy will be called Willie for purposes of this story) headed outside to try and get the truck out of the mud. They tried a variety of things to earn some traction: 

First, Scott dumped two buckets of gravel under the back wheels and Willie did his best to position it. 

Next, Willie used packing blankets wedged behind the wheels. They worked up to a point.

Then, Scott offered a piece of rigid insulation which appeared to work for a moment before the weight of the truck smashed it to smithereens. 

Next, they hooked Scott's Escape to the truck with one of our tow ropes. You wouldn't think this would work but it did - up to a point.

Maybe turning the Escape in a different direction would help? Not really. Finally, Scott had to leave to get to a meeting, so I tried my foot at the Escape gas pedal but I was quickly replaced by Willie as driver. He gunned it and the big truck lurched southward...

...southward right into the low-hanging branch of the cottonwood tree. It made a slight dent in the box of the big truck.

After all the hub-bub, Shawn and Larry carried the dryer upstairs. It will be installed on Wednesday.

The shining star of the day...the new refrigerator! I already transferred all the food but it will take some time to get used to all the bells and whistles.

One last task after a two hour delivery...moving the old fridge into the garage! We are really grown-ups now that we have a Garage Fridge...now, where is that beer?

Have A Great Weekend!