Twenty one years ago we bought a new refrigerator over at Pardini Appliance and it was a beaut: retro-style from curved corners to chrome handles, and coated in deep red airplane-grade paint.
A Northstar brand it was, and it was so cool we quickly went to work making it the centerpiece of our kitchen, which is black-and-white tile with marble here and there, and hardwood floors. To match our new red refrigerator we bought a new red toaster, a new red Kitchen Aid mixer, red clock and (courtesy of Pardini Appliance) a GE dishwasher with a red door matching the fridge.
So cute! (Wife’s words, not mine.)
That was, as mentioned, 21 years ago (I know these things because she keeps receipts). But a few weeks ago the jolly red fridge showed signs of terminal illness; the repair guy took its vitals, shook his head sadly and said we ought to prepare for the worst.
The next morning I went back to Pardini Appliance but Mark was absent. Trophy and I poked around Home Depot and eventually talked with a remarkably disinterested employee who knew nothing about refrigerators and chuckled about it.
We went to Friedman’s and were directed to the Kitchen & Bath display, and learned the only place to get a Friedman Appliance refrigerator was in Santa Rosa.
Back to Pardini’s. Mark answered the door, remembered the red fridge, and guesstimated it was purchased around 20 years ago. When he heard the news he murmured condolences, saddened that it might be destined for the Big Recycling Center in the sky.
Now you may not know it but the Pardini family name goes way back in the history of kitchen appliances. His ancient ancestors invented the ice cube, and more recently Mark’s grandfather sold Philco freezers to Eskimos and Westinghouse washing machines to nudist colonies.
Mark is content to keep his own customers satisfied here in Ukiah, and we put him to the test that afternoon at his shop on North State. He frequently deals with tough customers, but Trophy the wife (mine, not his) is a category of tough all on its own.
Our next / new refrigerator has to be retro and it has to be cute. It has to be delivered this afternoon and it has to be red.
Not to worry, or at least not much. Mark Pardini has heard it all before, sometimes louder, and has the right answer for every question.
Retro? Check.
Cute? Check.
Red? Maybe; These Northstars are imported from Canada and what with all these tariffs and delays and such . . . Mark’s voice trails off. But even if a brand new Canadian refrigerator in a fabulous cherry flavor might not get delivered to your house in the next three hours, what about I give you a loaner?
A loaner? A loaner what, asked my dear wife.
A loaner refrigerator, said the ever accommodating Mark Pardini. And to make room for it we’ll bring your old refrigerator back to the shop to perform an autopsy. Maybe we can bring it back to life. We have our ways.
Dear Trophy and I looked at each other. If there was a flaw in the plan it was Mark’s. We get a free rental that gets delivered free, a free trip to the Pardini appliance hospital, a free diagnosis, and Medicare will cover the rest??
Aww, just kidding about the Medicare stuff we said, ha ha. We have Blue Cross / Blue Shield.
(As of this writing lab tests are not yet back from Pardini’s emergency room. We have our fingers crossed but the truth is, a nice new Northstar in baby blue would also look smashing.)
UKIAH CAN’T HELP IT
The city keeps trying to do what the city does best, and in this latest case it has renewed its war against the last corrugated metal buildings in town, at Perkins and Main Streets.
Two years ago the vintage buildings were to be sacrificed so citizens might instead experience the splendor and joy of a new Savings & Loan. Whee.
Bank plans changed but leave it to Ukiah to never give up. She’s at her best when given the opportunity to destroy old buildings and replace them with charmless anonymous tan-colored cubes.
Thus another chance to bulldoze irreplaceable, historically significant buildings has surfaced, and was gladly embraced by city council. Ukiah may be best at wiping out her past, but she’s also without equal in replacing the old with new and appalling eyesores.
And for what? For college student housing. Instead, why not convert the shuttered Thrifty Drug building into dorm rooms?
What a place. What leadership.
Or maybe you like bland, beige three story housing rectangles, and if so TWK apologizes. Tom Hine plans to enroll at Mendo JC and major in modern dance
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