Private Thoughts Made Public

Yesterday I thought I’d make myself useful and defrost the freezer. There was so much ice caked at the back of it that I couldn’t open one of the drawers any more. So I started out doing it properly, getting panfuls of steaming hot water to try and melt the ice, but then I thought “blow this for a game of soldiers” and went at it with a hammer and screwdriver.
All went well for the first hour. I chipped away, and the ice came off in huge great clumps. I managed to get the stuck drawer out. I even managed to get the panel unscrewed at the back so I could get all the ice out from round the pipes. With the hammer and screwdriver. Can you guess what happened next? Yes, that’s right, pretty soon I needed to buy a new fridge freezer.
Actually, I suppose I could have gotten away with trying to get this one repaired, but it’s nine years old and I thought I should be able to find something at a reasonable price on the internet. A bit of googling later, and I found myself at Comet’s Clearance Auction site, which is where they sell off ex-display models, or stuff that people have returned because it’s got a scratch on it, or whatever.
The auctions were due to finish at 9pm tonight so at 8:45pm I logged in to see the state of play. I placed a bid on a fridge freezer at 8:55pm and, maybe a little surprisingly, no-one bid against me. No ebay-style last-minute dash here. All very civilised and refined. So I’ve just bought myself a Beko-something-or-other with a scratch on the front or side or whatever for £111 instead of the in-store price of £249. You may be able to tell I’m not that bothered about the model number or the features. As long as it keeps my food cool and fresh, that’s all I care about. It could have come with zebra-print doors for all I care. In fact, that’s not a bad idea. I might paint it when it arrives.
Even with the delivery charge on top (which I’d have to pay even if I’d bought it brand new from the store) and the price of a pot of black paint, that sounds like a bit of a bargain to me.