......

HERE WE ARE, back on the sidewalk at the apartments in the shimmering heat. There are Carl and Chris, saying, "You could refuse delivery." And there I am, scampering around inside my head, trying to make a decision to solve my quirky irky quandary!

That's when I hit on the solution: I made dear Chris and Carl an offer they couldn't refuse!
"How about if you two moonlight for me?!" I asked in a wheedling kind of way. That's when I offered them each a sizable wad of cash to set aside their regular delivery job, and set at least one air conditioner in place.

They jumped to attention! It seemed to solve their predicament as well as mine. (They really didn't want to leave me with my big old appliances that might not fit, sitting on the sidewalk in the stifling heat!) Chris looked at Carl. Carl said, "Well, we've already notified the next delivery we'll be there in thirty minutes, but...." (hmm, it was an offer they couldn't refuse, didn't I say, Reader Dear?)..."I guess we could do it."

To the tune of my profuse expressions of thanks and gratitude, and my explanation that I'd have to take their picture, they immediately cut open the first big box, hoisted the appliance up the flight of stairs; out came the old air conditioner from its eighteen-year, half-in-half-out spot on the wall. (I'd snatched up my large piece of black plastic to spread on the floor, well aware that old air conditioners can have wet bottoms).

As I held my breath, Carl and Chris then lifted the new air conditioner up and into the opening, and...glory be to fate and fortune, it FIT! They plugged it in. It roused to life! Then they placed the defunct air conditioner, still wrapped in the black plastic, into the empty box--and away they all went down the stairs!



It was ten minutes later.
And that, Reader Dear, was the end of that*

.....


(Of course, I still had to make a decision about the
remaining two air conditioners still tightly ensconced in their boxes.
To refuse, or not to refuse, that was the question.
I now knew they would fit; I kept them. Chris and Carl put them into my storage garage for me and drove away with big smiles on their faces. I was smiling pretty broadly myself as I waved them off.)

......









......
*My quirky quandary, (though I've
definitely tired of saying
those words!)