I have this extra refrigerator, the beer fridge is pretty common nowadays. We got this one real cheap and it’s somewhere between a dorm size fridge and what would be a regular sized one. We’ve added stickers and fun magnets, it’s a fun appliance. 

Occasionally she frosts up on us. The entire freezer part will become a block of ice. If left alone it’ll freeze over the vents that cool the refrigerator section. No body reaching into the beer fridge wants the mountains orange! So I open her doors and unplug her from the wall. This method works every time. 

For some reason I didn’t have the patience for that. I dug out my essential tools: slotted screwdriver, waffle headed framing hammer, and Jodi’s hair dryer. I was going to chisel out what I could and heat up what was left. 

The first few strikes got me nowhere. The screwdriver was just grazing off the ice buildup. I changed my angle, same result. I tried heating up the tip with the hair dryer, this technique allowed me to seat the chisel great, but it takes a long ass time to heat a screwdriver with a hairdryer. Again with the patience. Eventually I chipped away the top right corner and it left a flat surface I could get a good ice whacking starting point. Now I’m rolling. Chunks of ice are flying around like I’m sculpting a centerpiece for a movie wedding. 

In no time I’ve chipped my way to the back. The fan is dead center, and there are two cold air channels running down to the fridge. Both are plugged with ice. 🎵Hairdryer time!🎶

Chipping and drying I get the vents clear and the freezer frost free. I plug her back in to find still no cold transferring to the fridge. I stick the screwdriver up the channel from the fridge end and hit another solid sheet of ice. There’s an insulated gap where the fan and cooling pipes are that is frosted solid. To continue my mission I’ll have to get behind this sheet metal barrier. It’s attached with 4 screws, my drill gets them out lickety split. 

Why doesn’t this back wall come out? I removed all the screws!

I pry apart the bottom seam, it’s frozen in place, duh! I pry harder. I got a foot on the wall and I’m pulling with all I got. 

My right hand loses grip, the metal snaps back into place. Except the spot where my left fingers were. The middle finger of my left hand absorbs the flashback. 

I saw bone before I saw blood. 

It’s only a fingertip, stay cool. 

At this point Jodi is prepping dishes for me to barbecue. We aren’t expecting company, then here I am “Honey, I don’t want you to panic but, I need you to drive me to the clinic.”
I knew I required stitches, I also knew not to freak out Jodi. 

She dropped the dishes and changed out of house leggings into public leggings. I’m pinching off circulation to the finger. 
Once in the car, I’m still pinching it closed. There’s one red light, Jodi is losing her shit, screaming excremities. I’m pinching my purple finger black. 

We get to the clinic, I released pressure to allow a healthy amount of blood to drip down my hand and elbow. News flash. Bleeders don’t wait in line.  I told Jodi I’d be out in a minute.  

I took the elevator up. Jodi chose the stairs. You need a badge to open the doors from the stairs, Jodi didn’t have a badge.  

I got a dozen stitches on a finger, and continued to apologize for stairwell stress. 

Hope you all feel better!