Physics 101
Well, I'm gonna take a break from all the yucky stuff and tell you about something that happened at our house the other day. It has nothing to do with hurricanes or the federal government.
In more than twenty years of schooling I somehow managed to avoid ever taking a physics class. Thus, I have no explanation for this, this, this . . . thing that occurred. Maybe you can explain it to me.
Our neighbors around the block were renovating their kitchen. They had to get rid of their old fridge to make way for a new, smaller one. The old one was perfectly fine, and not even very old, so they asked us if we'd like it. Would we! Our fridge was ancient and too small, so we jumped at the chance. And because we are (sort of) in the landlord business, we have a dolly and some experience in moving large appliances around. So Steve trundled around to the other side of the block to pick up the new fridge. After a while, he returned with the fridge and the dolly, and also with the neighbor, who was carrying along some kind of a weird gadget that looked like the canister part of a vacuum cleaner with two hoses attached. The gadget, he said, was lent to him by his kitchen contractor. The guys wrestled the fridge up our front steps. Once it was up on the porch and poised to come in, they slid these things underneath that looked like snowboards, and were attached to the hoses that came from the vacuum cleaner, and, well, here's a picture:
He turned on the vacuum cleaner thingy, and (can you tell from the picture?) the snowboards and the refrigerator LIFTED OFF THE GROUND AND FLOATED ACROSS THE ROOM! All we had to do was gently guide it where we wanted it to go!
I know what you're thinking: did anyone have the nerve to try standing on the snowboards? Well, Joey was mad to try, and so was I, but because the thing was on loan from the neighbor's contractor we didn't. Maybe we'll get one for Chrismubirthdaykah this year.
Anyway, the new fridge is fabulous. It fits perfectly in our kitchen. It has adjustable "spillproof" glass shelves. The crisper drawers have separate humidity controls. Gallons of milk fit in the door. The freezer is gigantic. And best of all . . . it floats! :)
Thanks, Jim and Aimee!
In more than twenty years of schooling I somehow managed to avoid ever taking a physics class. Thus, I have no explanation for this, this, this . . . thing that occurred. Maybe you can explain it to me.
Our neighbors around the block were renovating their kitchen. They had to get rid of their old fridge to make way for a new, smaller one. The old one was perfectly fine, and not even very old, so they asked us if we'd like it. Would we! Our fridge was ancient and too small, so we jumped at the chance. And because we are (sort of) in the landlord business, we have a dolly and some experience in moving large appliances around. So Steve trundled around to the other side of the block to pick up the new fridge. After a while, he returned with the fridge and the dolly, and also with the neighbor, who was carrying along some kind of a weird gadget that looked like the canister part of a vacuum cleaner with two hoses attached. The gadget, he said, was lent to him by his kitchen contractor. The guys wrestled the fridge up our front steps. Once it was up on the porch and poised to come in, they slid these things underneath that looked like snowboards, and were attached to the hoses that came from the vacuum cleaner, and, well, here's a picture:
He turned on the vacuum cleaner thingy, and (can you tell from the picture?) the snowboards and the refrigerator LIFTED OFF THE GROUND AND FLOATED ACROSS THE ROOM! All we had to do was gently guide it where we wanted it to go!
I know what you're thinking: did anyone have the nerve to try standing on the snowboards? Well, Joey was mad to try, and so was I, but because the thing was on loan from the neighbor's contractor we didn't. Maybe we'll get one for Chrismubirthdaykah this year.
Anyway, the new fridge is fabulous. It fits perfectly in our kitchen. It has adjustable "spillproof" glass shelves. The crisper drawers have separate humidity controls. Gallons of milk fit in the door. The freezer is gigantic. And best of all . . . it floats! :)
Thanks, Jim and Aimee!
posted by Julie on
9/05/2005
9 Comments:
I don't knwo how that worked. But it is too cool!
posted by
Heather on 10:55 PM
Sounds like a magic transporter hovercraft to me (can you tell I didn't take physics either?)
posted by
Running2Ks on 11:22 PM
That's it! Magic! It must be magic!
posted by
Julie on 7:55 AM
oooh, like a giant game of air hockey...(is that what you call it there?)
posted by
Mummy/Crit on 8:24 AM
How cool! And may you always be as easy to lift as your refrigerator. :)
posted by
mrsd on 3:10 PM
Woah! Do you know what the magic transporter hovercraft is called? I NEED one of those, because I am forever rearranging our furniture and the piano is impossible to move without gouging the wood floor or someone throwing out their back.
posted by
lijhe on 4:10 PM
I can't top that in terms of a scavenged article of definite value, but I did manage to trash-pick a futon and frame last week that were in great condition. It was in the yard (by the curb) of neighbors up the street. After we hauled them down the road and into our basement (coulda used the levitating device your neighbor had), I worried that they'd put them out for Purple Heart!
posted by
doulicia on 12:06 PM
Neat toy. Every house needs one.
We found little gizmos at Lowe's that help us move really heavy furniture. They're plastic and round, and you slip them under each corner. Then, voila - the furniture moves with ease.
Of couse, they're made in China.
posted by
Fred on 6:33 PM
Yep, it's air hockey here, too. But what air hockey has to do with the refrigerator, I don't know.
Doulicia, congrats on the futon. I believe you're supposed to leave stuff for Purple Heart on the PORCH with a SIGN. I'm sure this rule would apply to a futon, doncha think?
Fred, those plastic round things, would they be wheels? :)
Mrsd, I know I have a bit of weight to lose since my last pregnancy but, geez, I hope I'm easier to lift than the fridge!
posted by
Julie on 10:52 PM
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