THE JOY OF HOME REPAIRS

A few days ago I told you about how my gas oven quit working after I tried to reset the clock on it following a power outage.

To the amazement of me and not a few of my readers, the Almighty Google told me the display on it of what looked like Sb6 was some kind of code that was meant to tell me it had gone into "Sabbath mode".

This apparently is some sort of mode that prevents baking over a weekend but which still supposedly lets the oven stay warm for already baked food.

Various sites told me to hold down the clock button for 5, 7 or 10 seconds to restore my programmer.

None of that worked.

Other sites told me to unplug the stove and then plug it back in.

That didn't work either.

And some sites told me to turn off the breaker to the outlet and then after 5 seconds or so to turn it back on.

Nope, no success.

Finally I was told by some guy who got to me through a website that if none of those solutions were actually solutions I probably needed a new computerized control board and that would be a tad over $200.

Not including the installation charge, of course.

So we went to a thrift store, where we had purchased the range a few years ago, to look for another one but this time an electric one because SWMBO had read recently that some gas fumes can cause illnesses.

(Silly me, I thought they just caused death!)

And we found a used electric range that looked like it would fill the bill, purchased it and arranged for delivery today.

The delivery guys weren't supposed to hook it up but offer of a tip might change their minds.

And it did.

But then the guy said, "Oh, it's electric. I can plug it in. I thought it was gas and we're not supposed to touch that."

So he got down to plug it in and promptly exclaimed "Oh, this is a three-prong plug and you have a four-prong socket!"

He said, in response to our confused queries, that yes, a hardware store probably would have an adaptor.

So off we went to a hardware store and SWMBO, who had announced she was taking on this project, talked to a guy and acquired, not an adaptor, but a new cord with the correct prongs on it which would have to replace the cord on the new (used) stove.

And, having a father, a son and a daughter, who had all been electricians and handymen in their time, she urged me to leave the room while she did the work.

But soon there were cries of frustration as she was unable to loosen the screws holding the old cord to the range.

I tried several times with several tools with the same lack of success.

So we called a handyman we had used previously and explained the dilemma.

He said he could get here sometime this evening but then later texted the name and number of an electrician he uses and suggested contacting him as he wanted to be sure it was wired correctly.

So I did but, of course, got his answering service and left a message to call me.

That was an hour ago and I'm still waiting to hear from him.

Meantime, the cost of that new (used) stove is rising and I'm starting to feel like the guy in this cartoon.