The Sound of Money

Have you ever heard several hundred dollars? I did, just this morning. I walked into the kitchen to make daughter her morning bagel. She likes them to be warmed up in the microwave for 10 seconds, not toasted. She got out the bagel guillotine and sliced it in half then handed it off to me for schmearing. I slathered it with cream cheese, then went to the microwave, and that's when I heard it.

You know that buzzer sound that they have in game shows when someone gets an answer wrong? That's the sound my microwave makes when you open the door. Not when you turn it on, or press a button, just opening the door make the microwave buzz. Now, it may be that it works just fine, and there would be no problem with continuing to use it, but I am going to proceed on the assumption that if a major appliance is giving me the "sorry, you lose" noise when the door is opened, something is probably seriously wrong.


So we'll be heading off to Sears later today to see if it will be more cost effective to fix it (which Husband and I both think is highly unlikely) or replace it. We purchased this one when we redid the kitchen about 7 years ago, and it seems to me that a microwave should last longer than that, but Husband pointed out that it does get a lot of use. Whichever way we end up going, I'm glad to know that I now know what money sounds like.

Added later in the day:
I overheard this conversation around lunchtime, shortly after Husband realized that he would be unable to microwave some leftovers for his lunch.

H: It's just buzzing, maybe it still works. Why don't you warm this up for me?

S: No thank you. I've already had cancer.

H: Which is why you should do it.

S: Besides, I don't have any insurance.

H: Well I'm sure your symptoms won't show up for a couple of months, and we'll all have federally mandated insurance by then, so we'll all be good.

S: (Walks silently away and goes to the basement.)

H: (To me) The toaster oven still works, right?