Like most commute-weary suburbanites, I am a caffeine addict. And like most addicts, when your supply gets interrupted, you’ll resort to drastic measures to get it back. So it was with my coffee maker.
I have one of those single-serve, individual pod coffee machines. I recently had to descale it. This is a newer machine, and gone are the days where you just run vinegar through it and rinse it out. They have their own special solution (available at a small additional cost) and many, many steps to the process.
So, I go through the process, and several gallons of water later, the display still says “descale.”
????
After reviewing the instructions, I realized I missed one small, crucial step in the beginning — I didn’t put the machine in “descale mode.” It just thought I was running brew cycles over and over and over and over and over again.
So I decide to start over. But I screwed up trying to start Descale Mode and it wound up running a brew cycle. With no water. The machine overheated, and died.
Like, dead. Like would not power on. No pulse. Nothing.
Uh-oh. The supply was in danger.
Once I stopped panicking, it was on to the interwebs.
After a little research, I discover the problem. The thermostat has “popped,” cutting power to the machine. The good news — it can be reset, just like a wall outlet. The bad news, unlike a wall outlet, there’s no easy button to press. You have to take the coffee maker apart to get to it.
So my choices are either spend more $$$ on a new machine, or try to fix it myself.
You should know, I’m HORRENDOUS at any kind of home repair. Anything more complicated than a light bulb, I’m out. The very idea of fixing ANYTHING makes my eyes sweat.
But, being the addict (and gigantic cheapskate) I am, I have no choice. I have to get this thing working.
Gulp.
I clear an entire day (which isn’t much of a problem, since I don’t do much), and set to work.
I luckily found an extremely helpful video that went step-by-step through the process, which basically involves popping the outer cover off to access the innards. Everything’s plastic, of course, so the trick is to pry the cover off of the unit without breaking any of the million or so tiny little tabs that hold it in place.
With the concentration (if not skill) of a surgeon, I manage to peel the cover off without any apparent damage. And using the high-tech tool of an unwound paperclip, I reset the thermostat. But before putting everything back together, I plug it in, and nervously hit the power button.
Success! Although the damned “descale” message is still on. But at least it’s alive.
I carefully pop the cover on, CORRECTLY put the machine in Descale Mode, and run several brew cycles (WITH water) until the message mercifully goes away.
Crisis averted. I will have coffee for my morning commute.
Why am I telling you all this?
Depression has robbed me of the motivation to do pretty much anything. I do my job 40 hours a week, but little else. Goal setting?? What are these “goals” you keep talking about?
It took the frightening specter of caffeine withdrawal to do it, but I made a plan, faced my fear and actually fixed something. I didn’t replace it. I fixed it.
It may not be much, but for a day, I felt like a person. For a day, depression can take a seat.
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