Waiting for the repairman

One of the better jobs assigned to a hausfrau is waiting for the repairman. My new Kenmore refrigerator has been repaired so many times in the last 18 months that Sears decided to give us a free replacement. So I am actually waiting for the delivery man, not the repairman. Whatever happened to that lonely Maytag repairman? Unfortunately, most major appliances do not last as long as our parents' initial purchases did. I have heard stories about refrigerators, stoves, and washing machines purchased in the sixties and seventies, not meeting their demise until recently. Ah the good old days! Now companies mass produce inferior products which will either break or become obsolete in 3-5 years. And during those 3-5 years, we often find ourselves waiting for the repairman!