Ice Puppies

I PROMISE that my very delayed Halloween recap is coming. Soon.

However, let me regale you with a “frosty” tale. Behold, the wonder that is our ICE MAKER.

We have owned our fridge, a very nice, stainless steel, French door fridge WITH an ice maker (oooo, ahhhh) for 5 years. When we first bought it, we did not have the appropriate plumbing at our old house to set up the ice making capabilities, so it never was connected.

When we moved into our new house, a YEAR ago, the plumbing and tubing were available and waiting for us, but because I a) find that ice maker ice cubes get funny tasting after a while and b) wanted every inch of freezer space for FOOD not FROZEN WATER, we did not connect the already available hose to the back of the fridge.

We do have old fashioned ice trays and occasionally we used them. I tried to remember to fill them for gatherings, but I often forgot. There’s something that makes you feel like an inadequate hostess when you don’t have ICE. Someone would ask expectantly, “Oh, do you have any ice?” and I’d sadly have to shake my head with an embarrassed look on my face and say “Oh, I’m SOOO sorry. I DON’T.”Oh the shame.

The other problem we had with the trays is that despite carefully wedging them into the freezer between the peas and the chicken, balanced precariously on top of the pizza and peaches, they’d often tip over and spill before they were solid, turning everything under them into a chunk of ice. Or, though the cubes themselves wouldn’t come out of the tray no matter how hard you twisted, but 5 would just slide right out inside the freezer when you weren't looking and slip of the basket and onto the floor to melt into a puddle every time I opened the freezer drawer.

Or someone (*ahem*) would use the last cube of ice and forget to refill it and then one of the kids would get a bump that I wanted to put ice on, and GAH… no ice.

Ice, who knew it could be such a pain in the ass?

So, all in all, 9 times out of 10, you wouldn’t get ice at our house.

However, now that we have our new FREEZER (whoo!) I decided while moving some items from the fridge freezer to the upright in the garage, that we certainly could justify the space for ice. Everything was RIGHT there and we figured it wouldn’t be a big deal to hook up.

So, yesterday, we dug out and dusted off the fridge installation instructions, then tried to remember where we put the bin to hold the ice cubes (I had it in the pantry holding snacks. Hey, I use what I have), then , Hubster dragged the fridge out and wedged himself in behind to fumble around in the dimly lit area with old kinked, copper tubing and a stripped hex connector (don’t I sound FANCY knowing all these technical fridge-y terms??). Well, our “everything is there, so just connect it and have ICE” plan didn’t work so well. Not surprisingly, it leaked. And hissed angrily.

The short version is that several curses and 2 trips to the hardware store later, we’re patched up and connected with water flowing freely into our fancy-smancy ice maker.

Last night, Hubster and I waited expectantly, checking the installation instructions numerous times to see WHEN we could expect the first pieces of ice to be delivered. We kept walking by the fridge, shining the flashlight behind it to make sure it wasn’t leaking and listening with an ever-cocked ear for the clattering rumble of ice dropping into the plastic bin.

It was like waiting for a baby to be born. Or, maybe because we expected so many; endless frozen babies; puppies. Ice puppies.

A few hours later, we heard the first rattle and clunk. Across the room we smiled at each other triumphantly and then ran to the freezer, pulled open the drawer and admired our first 3 ice cubes proudly. I think I might have wiped a tear, saying “Look, Honey. Ice. WE have ICE”. Hubster smiled knowingly at me and nodded.

Though we had to throw the first batch of ice magic out, all day, the ice maker has been slaving away, popping out ice. This afternoon, Hubster and I enjoyed a COLD class of pop WITH ice. It was a warm day and it was very satisfying. Then, Baboo’s soup was too hot at lunch, but it was nothing a piece of ICE couldn’t remedy. Oh, yes, ice. We’ve got it.

So, if you come to our house now, you will be offered ICE. Maybe even for your coffee, but rest assured, there will be ice.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, the ice maker as just dropped my next ice installment, a new ice puppy has been delivered and so I think I will go and get a nice cold, ICY glass of water.