Regret to inform....

[Bret4207]

I regret to inform the membership of the passing of my 1982 Whirlpool Microwave, affectionately know as "Ol Sparky". :(Sparky passed quietly, but unexpectedly, yesterday morning about 4:00AM. Funeral arraignments are still pending, but most likely will be held at the Town of Macomb scrap metal dumpster.

Sparky was well known through a series of photos depicting my reloading room. His cheerful presence was felt by the surrounding area every time he was activated as his wattage caused the lights to dim in a 3 mile radius.

Contributions in Sparkys memory may be directed to www.castboolits.gunloads.com

[robertbank]

Fear not I have no doubt Ol Sparky will be reincarnated as a wheel cover for a KIA Mini Van.

Take Care

Bob

[NVcurmudgeon]

Bret, utmost electronic condolences on the passing of Sparky. I well remember my first microwave, circa 1980. It too, was huge, caused brown-outs when operating, and had an analog timer. Remember those seventies-early eighties timers that flipped pages? Of course, that was the first part to break, so we got pretty good at instinctive timing. IIRC it cost $800. Its replacement, circa 1993 was $99 at Wal-Mart, with several pieces of Tupperware clones thrown in.

[Bret4207]

Sniff, sniff, the wake was a touching event held in the gun room. We cut the power cord and ceremoniously laid his remains on a flat rack along with a jumble of rusted fencing. Ah Sparky, we hardly knew ye!

[georgewxxx]

Do we send flowers?

[MT Gianni]

Was this the one that only a plate of food would fit in or a whole bowl? Our first was a 3rd party hand me down for reheating a platefull of food. Gianni

[BCB]

Yes, it is widely known, and somewhat accepted, that deaths of famous people (and maybe microwaves!) occur in three’s…

Recently it was Robert Goulet, Porter Wagoner, and now to complete the triad—Ol’ Sparky…

And so it goes…BCB

[Maximilian225]

I shall mourn your lost microwave with you. My first was a beautiful mud brown with ivory trim, faux wood door. :violin:

No stupid timer, merely a steel toggle switch...Ahhh the things I burnt to crisp in that tiny cramped little box. Older microwaves like lots of attention, if you turn your back, they will blow up bowls of spaghetti-O's in anger.:mrgreen:

[Bret4207]

Do we send flowers?

If you wish you may send them electronically.....

[paul edward]

Before leaving your late lamented appliance at the recycling center, have you considered leaving it, temporarily, downrange as a target?

[DLCTEX]

My first memory of a microwave was an Amanna Radar Range I saw at a meeting for the Rural Electric Cooperative about 1955. It cost $500 (what would that be in todays dollars?) It was a long while before we actually owned one. Dale

[Rick N Bama]

My first memory of a microwave was an Amanna Radar Range I saw at a meeting for the Rural Electric Cooperative about 1955. It cost $500 (what would that be in todays dollars?) It was a long while before we actually owned one. Dale

Our first was a Radar Range, IIRC it cost something like $700.00 or so. The place where we bought it even delivered the thing. Took 2 guys to bring it into the house:)

[9.3X62AL]

Bret--

Heartfelt condominiums and earnest regressions on your recent loss.

I was once--not so long ago--an owner of a similar microwave and other vintage electronic devices of like age and condition. After Marie and I got married in 2001, the process of blending two households and two families began with a great deal of sarcasm from the daughters and step-daughters concerning the respective eras in which Marie's stuff and my stuff came from. Most of my stuff prompted rejoinders like "SITS--Stuck In The Seventies", or "Museum Material", or "Where's the wood-burning stove that goes with the rest of this stuff?" My daughters caught right on with Marie's girls in the wholesale derision of my housewares, the little traitors. Of course, all of Marie's stuff was hotness and modernity given form and substance.

Most of these offending appliances have departed for The Great Recycler, but I persist in using my vintage 2002 cell phone. The girls give me no end of crap because it can't take pictures--or access the Internet--or order pizza through thought projection. What it CAN DO is get reception in places where their Totally Updated Hotness Plus Flip-Top DVD-Capable belt buzzers are dead like Freddie.

"Dad--can I use your phone?" I love the sound of that.

[Duckiller]

First microwave was bought at J.C.PENNY. Don't remember how much it cost but it kept three kids in warm bottles at ungodly hours. 30 sec then plug the hole making all the noise. If my wife and I would have had to boil water I am not sure all three would have made it to adulthood. First one lasted a lot longer than any replacements.

[Maximilian225]

First one lasted a lot longer than any replacements.

I'm guessing your referring to the microwave..............??????:wink:

[MT Gianni]

Before leaving your late lamented appliance at the recycling center, have you considered leaving it, temporarily, downrange as a target?

As a neighbor referered to it: The Harrison/Pony discount store and recycling center, known in lesser parts as the dump.

[nvbirdman]

Do we send flowers?

No but you can send flour.

[Lloyd Smale]

microwaves have a special place in my heart. I got out of the service in 78 and bought my first house and didnt have a kitchen range for over a year. I lived out of my microwave! Beer and frozen food!!!!! Its all a batchler needed!

[Crash_Corrigan]

My Microwave-Convection oven went South the day my ex threw me out of house. It was on a neato stand with wheels and a butcher block wooden top with double doors below and a shelf.

It held a bread maker, waffle maker, blender, mixer and assorted big kitchen stuff. When I finally got back to the house about a month later a lot of stuff was gone. For the microwave there was not reason. For an antique dress (circa 1760) it was being repaired. It took a year to reappear.

This is after all of my stuff had been removed and placed into storage without me permission or authority and then the montly storage bill was my responsibility etc. Ain't divorce wonderful..

I am done with women. They are not worth the trouble.

Now I am the market for a decent microwave-convection oven.

Just bought a mobile home in a senior park from an elderly lady for 2K. Watta deal! A big step up from a rented room in a private home. Room for my Dog Tarzan and my reloading bench, casting bench etc.

:drinks:

[joatmon]

Sorry for your loss, try to find peace of mind in these words.


Ash's to Ash's
Dust to Dust
Old lead Melts Down
Old Microwaves Rust

[sundog]

actually crash, divorce sucks. the relief if priceless....

[Maximilian225]

Am I the only one that heard the faint sound of fingers snapping all around?? with quite echoes of "righteous" ?



Ash's to Ash's
Dust to Dust
Old lead Melts Down
Old Microwaves Rust

[Newtire]

If you wish you may send them electronically.....

The absence will be felt by all I'm sure.

[crowbuster]

crash.
after my divorce and all of my apparent M.I.A. stuff, when someone would say you don't have a this or a that i would say nope, that don't live with me anymore, and i didn't even get joint custody of the washer. and i miss my Frigidaire

[Scrounger]

Hang in there, Crash. I cannot understand those guys who get burned in a divorce and jump right into another marriage. Like Leo, the guy who did some carpentry work for me. Been divorced twice, lost all his property both times, just remarried a women from the Philippines; he's 65, she's 40.

[Four Fingers of Death]

My first one was a toshiba I think. We got it with a permanent pantry deal, boy we paid plenty, over a $1000 I think and lawdy knows what we paid by the time the interest was factored in. It was a good unti though. I was as strong as an ox when we had it and we moved house a few times. I could carry it, but it was big and barely fitted through a doorway and was awful awkward, all the weight was down one end. It broke down once and the part cost $185.00 from memory. It never missed a beat apart from that and heated lots of cuppas, dinners when I got in from work wringing wet off the motircycle and a squillion baby's bottles. We paid dearly for it, but we got our money's worth in the end. Our current one cost $76.00 at Wollies. Works ok, but I used to like the swing dial on the timer and the bell sounded like one in a boxing ring.

[Jim]

Bret,
Remember ol' Sparky for all the good things he brought into your life and he'll remain alive, if only in your heart, forever. Hang tough, bud. The next few months are gonna be hard, but you CAN get through this. Believe me, there's gonna come a time when the stories you'll have to tell will bring laughter to you and many others.

Jeesh, you'd think the guy's dog died or somethin'!:roll:

[Steelbanger]

Our first microwave was a Frigidaire and weighed quite a bit. I sold a Ruger M77 in 257 Roberts with a mounted 3-9 Leupold AO scope to finance the new-fangled device. My wife was happy and that's one of the keys to a successful marriage. Besides, it wasn't my only rifle.
Our current microwave was well under $100 and weighs maybe 25 pounds but it doesn't have that impressive appearance of the Frigidaire. Also I can't even hear the bell or beeper or whatever sound it makes when the cycle is complete.

[Boz330]

I got my first one to enable me to buy an over and under shot gun. You guys know how that works.:roll: But I worked extra to get the shot gun so it didn't come out of the regular budget, same for the microwave. Still didn't get credit for the effort.:groner:
As I remember it was $400+ in 74 + the shot gun, about $450, so I had an $850 shot gun. Or as my wife probably looked at it an $850 microwave.

Bob

[Single Shot]

OL' SPARKY has left to go on to better things.

His life in this world was tough.

At any odd moment day or night he would be disturbed from his rest just to heat a youngin's bottle. Poor guy. Imagine what it would be like to be awakened by a massive jolt of current flowing through your innards.

And he also suffered by having frozen dinners stuffed into his innards and then another jolt of current just so you could have a warm meal in a hurry.

Then there were the dietary disasters that exploded within his gut as he struggled through your learning cure.

You say you miss Sparky and that this is a sad occasion.

It is not. Go forth and celebrate.

For Sparkys' suffering has ended.

He is now free to rust at ease and co mingle with the rust of that Frigidaire that he has lusted for since his creation.

CHEERS SPARKY :drinks: you are finally free to follow your dreams.

[Bret4207]

I committed Sparkys remains to great unknown today. It was a quiet ceremony, just me, the Town Highway Superintendent and my neighbor Earl who runs the loader for the Town. Sparky entered the grave with several hundred feet of rusted out fencing, an engine block or 3 and several snowmobiles that evidentially were involved in a rather serious fire.

Farewell loyal and trusted friend. The gun room will never be the same without you.

[Poygan]

And who says guys aren't relational....

[Bigjohn]

How well I remember the Three microwaves I have had;

My first one escaped out the side window one night while I was at work; taking along for company a four inch bench vice (NIB) and a mini Maglite. Probably just wanting to see the world before that ultimate fate; the trip to the dump.:(

The replacement lasted ten years almost and then just stopped working one day and refused to ever work again. Boy! do they have a strong union. [smilie=1:

The third one was someone elses hand me down. Already in it's senior years and actually came with it's own Seniors card. Hence, after years of hard service to humanity, it's heart finally gave out. The last two donated the bodies to science and were disected in the name of recycling. :roll:

At this time the house is void of the humming sound of a contented microwave doing it's service for humanity in providing us with hot meals from frozen ice blocks.:(

Sounds like I had better go forth and snare another one and press it into service.

R.I.P.

Ol Sparky and family.


John.

[MT Gianni]

Big John, Like most things electronic they have magic smoke inside that lets them work. If you let the smoke out all work ceases.
Gianni

[Buckshot]

..............My wife and I were married in 1975. Not too long afterwards her parents (who are pretty well off) got an Amana Radar Range. I really didn't nderstand how it worked, nor was I too interested in it. I did marvel atthe fact that it resembled the front end of a '53 Buick.

..............Buckshot

[Ricochet]

I have one of those early '80s monster microwaves I picked up off the curbside and use with my generator-equipped Listeroid to pop corn for passersby at engine shows. (And cook dinner, if I sit out there long enough.) Makes the exhaust start barking when the magnetron kicks in. I get a tingle out of it on dewy mornings when it's been sitting outside. The power cord came with bandage tape wrapped around it. Might not meet UL specs right now.

[BD]

A little of topic, but in the same vien; I have a brother in northern Wisconsin who's never had an answering machine on his home phone. I know at least two members of the family have given him one, but it's still never hooked up. Turns out he's still using his same old black rotary dial telephone so he can't hook the aswering machines up. He's too cheap to buy another phone until the old one goes kaput. This guy's got a computer, and he's on the internet, but he can't bring himself to part with that old phone.
BD