Fuses and fridges.

Don't even ask me how many power outages we had yesterday. I lost track thanks to the breaker being tripped every hour or so.

Around 5 p.m. (about the time maintenance gets off work), we finally blew a fuse ... for the circuit that the refrigerators and deep freezer run on. Not something you want without power overnight, especially considering the amount of frozen meat we brought over in suitcases from the States. Michael did a little creative wiring and managed to replace the fuse, but the breaker continued to trip. The rest of the evening was like a ballet, waltzing refrigerators, water coolers and freezers around the kitchen to try and reach an outlet on a different circuit. (In between these dances, I was also pushing a mop around the kitchen to sop up the water leaking from the ceiling; maintenance was still waiting to gain access to the apartment above us to see where the leak originated.)

At around 10 p.m. we decided to take one of the refrigerators offline (we don't really need two; one was just left in the apartment when we moved in) and we moved the deep freeze into the family room (trust me there's room; I'll show you pics later). 

Now down to only one appliance plugged in to the problem circuit, we held our breath...

Click! (darkness).

Arrgh!!!  

We wheeled our remaining fridge into the guest bedroom where it happily spent the night. 

Luckily, maintenance works Saturdays, and the electrician was able to come today and fix the problem. He was even kind enough to check in on us in the evening. So far so good. Refrigerator and water cooler are living in harmony in the kitchen, while the freezer remains a new fixture of the family room. Works for me! 

Our refrigerator and water cooler (alongside the mischievous breaker box,
left of the fridge) back at home in the kitchen. You can still see water seeping
out from under the kitchen cabinets (far left), thanks to our leaky ceiling.

The deep freezer joins us in the family room. 

Late this evening as I was pushing the fridge back against the wall, the lights flashed off. "Noooo! I didn't even tough the plug!" 

Turns out it was just a power outage ... I can't tell you happy that made me.

Where was the Malarone hidden today? We tried cheese at his request, but he still spit it out. Finally, I just shoved it down his throat with my finger and chased it with a drink of water. Not pretty, but effective. 

Number of power outages: Just one. =)