Ika 28 ng Abril 2009: Material Girl

My wholesale repair turned out to be one expensive pursuit. Half of the money I was reserving for my car registration was spent on my various broken stuff. So far, the following articles were restored and/or repaired: two watches, three bags, two shoes, and ED's back pack.

As for the rest, here is the verdict.....

For items brought at Mr. Quickie:

1. one of my bags with shredded handles given by my kids two Christmases ago would cost more than the original cost of the bag;
2. a native bag with a handle holder broken can only be replaced with leather materials and because one connector will be changed, the other three holders need to be changed as well and the cost will again roughly approximate the cost of the bag;
3. ED's other bag pack with portions torn due to wear and tear will practically be replaced wholly and hence will cost a fortune since that backpack was just given;
4. MD's sneakers with a broken rubber lining can be repaired at a cost equivalent to the cost of the shoes.

For the watches:

5. One watch, my mother's old watch, is not functioning and as I dread, it's the old circuit block that is damaged, a problem of electronic watches after sometime particularly if not used often. It would have to be replaced once damaged and it's expensive.
6. One watch which I thought needed battery just need cleaning. It functioned once the technician opened it.

The biggest loser is my TV set. I thought that it was just the switch button on the set itself that got loose. According to the repairman, however, the outlet switch burned. I asked how that could happen and he said it might be loosely plugged on. I said it's not. Electricity could have fluctuated..... hmmmmmmmm. He appeared distressed as he was telling me and I thought it was hopeless. I asked if it can be repaired and he said yes, it's repairable but it would cost more. He said I could get it the following day which was yesterday.

I sent our boy helper to get it and the other electric fan left there for months. I was expecting to see my old TV back in my room but there was no TV. I asked my other helper who does not know. This morning, I got a note from ED telling me that lightning struck the TV set....... Huh! How could that happen? There is not window or opening near where it is. Through the cables? But why only that TV? Later when our boy helper arrive, he confirmed ED's note and told me he saw the crack on the power supply. Big mystery really. I was trying to recall the event on the day that TV broke. I watched a show in the morning before I left for work on that day. Later, MD texted that we had no lights upstairs except for my room. When I arrived, my TV wasn't working anymore. Our helper said there was a thunderstorm that day and that could have caused the lights to trip. I assumed also that something must have short-circuited. Following morning, hubby was able to restore the lights upstairs by resetting our circuit breaker. The repairman wants me to call him. And why? To deliver more bad news!

Hubby was making fun of me during breakfast egging me to just replace my old TV. I will in due time. But my financial planning does not include buying a new TV set right now. It's ten-years old, btw. It's not even a branded TV. Still, it worked perfectly for the last ten years until that fateful day. I just don't want to discard it like that. I'd like to consider myself an earth preserver and hate contributing to waste generation. Besides, it's supposed to live a long life and be my kitchen TV when I buy a new TV set for my room. So that the helpers would hang around in the kitchen more. I dread calling the repairman who told my boy helper he could still repair it. And just like the rest of the items it could probably cost what the TV set costed me ten years ago. But I will call him later when I am ready to hear more bad news..........

The rest of the items were not repaired anymore. I would try to find other alternatives for the bags. As for the watches, one will be cleaned when the battery is changed. I am still thinking if I'll have the circuit block of the other watched repaired when I could actually buy a practical watch with the cost. I actually have enough watches. And my beloved TV, if it will cost me a fortune, I could just leave it to the repairman as my legacy to him........ I am also a freecycler. I would probably have a number of items up for grabs in my next postings.

Today, I am trying to assess whether our materialistic society is causing me this anxiety? I can really survive with one less watch, bag, pair of shoes, and even my beloved TV. But no, I have to buy one or two extra watches; matching shoes and bags, and other conveniences to make life more interesting. Look at the kind of problems I am facing now.....

Move over Madonna and Hillary Duff, here I come ......

PS: Na miss ko ang kwento ni Manong ngayong araw. Ito kasing si bunso ko ay tinanong ako sa sulat tungkol sa field trip niya na di ko naman nabasa. Kaming dalawa ang nag-usap nung nakisakay ako sa kanila. Nagbigay naman si Manong. Siguro bukas na lang ang kasunod na kwento.....