Radia-radical

A couple of weeks ago our range top microwave died. Normally microwaving in the household is a rather interesting adventure, because this thing sucked up power like … well something that sucks up a lot of power.

It was not uncommon for ye olde microwave to trip yon breaker and to hear my exclamation of “SHIT!” as my computer, the alarm clock, the TV, the lights, the small light over the kitchen sink, the printer, my wife’s computer and a host of other things all got an immediate and well earned break.

But in the last couple of weeks I’ve missed ol’Mike (that’s now its name, I christen thee Mike, in nomine patre blah blah blah) and the ability to heat food from frozen in 3 minutes.

I can now go back to playing that game of “Let’s see what Freezer item this was before it froze!” and not have to way 23 hours for the results.

So how did Mike the Microwave get fixed? Well through fortune and the grace of God I married a smart woman – a smart woman who also happens to be very Dutch. The smartness played out in that she knew to research our particular model and found out that Mike’s family isn’t that great of a family of microwaves – they are genetically predisposed towards breakage you might say. And too, she called up yon store from whence Mike came and they said: “Sounds like a fuse – that’ll be four bucks. Oh and be careful when yer changin the fuse to make sure the capacitor ain’t full – y’all could die.

Um… what you say? DIe?

First off, outside the frickin’ Star ship Enterprise what the hell is a capacitor doing on earth? And second – why is it possible for my microwave to kll me? Even after its died? The only thing that is allowed to kill me after its died are vampires, zombies, lichs, ghouls and Oprah… oh wait I already said ghoul didn’t I?

Well after some moments of trepidation I reached my hand in… and that’s when it happened. … nothing. The fuse popped out fairly easily, I popped in the new one, plugged Mike in and he lit up like Kiristie Alley at a buffet.

Welcome back to the fam-damily Mike. I just hope the Dilithium crystals hold up…