I too had toaster problems most of my life until I got one for free using my air miles. I took whatever toaster they had, since I too was so frustrated I was about to go without one. They had a T-Fal which I had enough points for, so I ordered it and they even paid to deliver it to my house. It cost me nothing but time with the air miles telephone rep and some points – I consider that free. I’ve had it over 3 years now, knock on wood, and it works great. I’m now saving my points for the next small appliance that goes.

I wonder if the reason the toaster is still working so well is because I didn’t do any research and just took what they had. I say this because I usually research many purchases and every one of those that I do I have problems with. I feel like Murphy’s law of shopping – no matter what I buy something will go wrong. One good thing about this Murphy’s law of shopping – it makes me not buy much thus saving money.

I had a little countertop Oster convection oven that worked like a charm for at least 18 years and was used a lot. In fact until I could afford my built in convection oven, it was the only oven I had for about a year. I should have kept it instead of thinking it was near its end, because my wall oven lasted about 800 cooks and bit the dust. Alas, it was no longer under warranty.

Most of the time I think extended warrantees are useless. They are too expensive and generally if an item is a real lemon the problems will show up in the first year while it still has a warranty. Also some credit cards have extended warrantees on purchases anyways which will give you another year or two of coverage.

My Dad was an appliance repairman. He was very happy to retire when he did because it was just about the time they were making things so you could not fix them or parts were almost as expensive as buying a new one. Having lived through the Great Depression, he hated the whole enforced obsolesce attitude of manufacturers. Even after he retired he had the old fridge, stove, washer, dryer, and car for many years because he had the parts and knowledge to repair them for very little cost and they just kept going. Eventually they upgraded one by one but the old items were still running so he sold them and to the best of my knowledge served their new owners until they wanted to upgrade.

I also get frustrated with items that have so many bells and whistles that I don’t need. It’s hard to find something that does only the basics. My Dad always said that the more things an appliance/electronic device can do the more things there are to go wrong with it and the shorter it’s life will be.

@ Catherine: Spelt bread! I love this and used to have a great recipe for my breadmaker. The first one. For some reason it never worked in the second one. Neither works now. Have you also noticed that everyone now wants to sell you an extended warranty? And that what is in the extended warranty used to be in the regular warranty which you got for free?

@ an ostrich named Sam: Coffee makers? Insert hysterical laughter here. We own four. They live with the coffee bean grinders and the toasters in the basement. We use a plastic Militia cone filter that you sit on top of the cup and pour boiling water into. No moving parts except for the steam. When the Hubster brings home fresh roasted gourmet coffee beans I hand him the cutting board and a hammer. We bought our last car from the owner of a dealership who was outside brushing off the snow from all his display cars himself. Didn’t want to risk scratching a single one. We had decided between two cars and manufacturers that we liked but we never even went to the second dealer. Perhaps the other car is a better car so this makes us foolish but we could not have asked for better before and after sales service. We left the car at the dealer to be serviced while we were out of town and this same man met us at the airport so that we would not have to spend money on a taxi.

@tigerlilly Yukon News! Are you a northern girl? Unfortunately I have sent them a few letters to the editor that I thought were witty and amusing but that they thought were worthy of a restraining order. Ditto the Whitehorse Star but What’s Up Yukon did publish a funny poem I wrote. My first time in print other than on Gail’s site.

@Suzanne – thanks you always make my day. I am currently babysitting a Golden Retriever and a Rottweiller. They are goofy lap dogs in 100 and 140 pound bodies. Dawg is hiding in the closet. He is intimidated by them. Thinks the girls are after his body. They are lovely but not the brightest crayons in the box. They cannot count but that is okay. They can tell when the box still has cookies in it so I just keep giving them cookies until it is empty. No choice as they manage to each keep one paw firmly on my foot nailing me to the floor.

@Now Anna: was this chair that you fell off of by any chance one of those adjustable office/desk chairs? I have had 3 over the past 12 years and have found none to be trustworthy. My first was overly enthusiastic. When I would pull the lever to raise the seat it would launch me into orbit. If I attempted to lower the seat I ended up sitting an inch and a half off the floor with my chubby legs twisted into a Yoga position my husband called the Q-tip. Knees shoved into ears. I retired this chair to the laundry room where it holds my laundry basket which I cannot set on the floor because of the flooding. Did I mention leaking washer number three?

My second chair was a very temperamental homicidal maniac. The instant I would gingerly place the corner of one butt cheek on the seat Freddie would flip me over backwards with such force that I would be launched into a series of very ungraceful, very client impressing somersaults. (side note: Ya know how your mother always told you to wear clean underwear in case you got hit by a bus. Well……) If I attempted to just leap into Freddie’s arms the chair back would spring forward slamming my face into the desk top. You know you have been married too long when you greet your husband at the door with a black eye, wads of bloody Kleenex stuffed up your nostrils and several staples and a pencil eraser deeply embedded in your forehead and all he says is “I told you not to try to adjust that chair and what’s for dinner?” I sold Freddie to my neighbour for her daughter. Don’t judge me. I needed the money for chair number three and kids have soft and pliable bones and they bounce. The swiveling bastard never, even attacked her.

Chair number three was a militant Union member. Went on strike on day one. This was before I was reformed by Gail so of course I lost the receipt and could not return it. After a year I got tired of sitting on a phone book and pillow and having to climb over or crawl under my desk in order to leave because the wheels would lock up so I bought one of those giant exercise balls to sit on. They are supposed to improve your balance and posture but mine kept deflating – making a very loud, long drawn out fart sound. Insert embarrassed blush here. Currently my computer sits on a stack of encyclopedias and I stand in front of my desk. Burns more calories.