Refrigerator Ken

I suppose I've mentioned before (or hinted at the idea) that my household isn't exactly normal all the time. Or ever, maybe. We have a certain sense of humor about us. Or maybe we're just sick and twisted. For example there's Refrigerator Ken.

In order to tell you about Refrigerator Ken I must first tell you that my oldest daughter had quite the Barbie collection back in the day. Lots and lots of Barbies. Just who did all those Barbies date? Well, Spiderman. And Dr. Octopus. And Hobgoblin. There's also this other dude (missing his tail in this shot) whose name eludes me just now. Oh, and we did have one Ken doll. Here are three of the fellows that are still hanging around. They used to swing by and take various Barbies out on dates in the fabulous Barbie Mobile.


Of all these fine specimens, Spiderman (unavailable for the photo shoot) was pretty much the preferred date. Years went by and the Barbies were given up, yet somehow Ken (et al.) remained. Dear, dear Ken. A couple of years ago, for reasons unknown to me, my daughters put Ken in the refrigerator. Now, some plastics can take the cold and some become brittle. Apparently Ken was not made for cooler climes and as he got moved around the refrigerator some of his parts failed to remain intact. To be fair, he was already a bit broken going in. There was a time when the occasional hand or foot would turn up under a bed or behind the sofa. From what I hear he was sent flying off a ceiling fan more than once. Anyhow, he is a beloved refrigerator fixture for us and we have done our best to keep his remaining parts together. Behold, one and all, Refrigerator Ken:

The tape across his chest extends across his back and helps to keep his waist from pulling completely loose. The freakish 'underwear' basically holds his legs on. I really don't know why one knee is taped and one not. His head came off once but luckily went back on and stayed without the assistance of tape.

Like I said, he has become a beloved fixture in our fridge. When my daughter was in the hospital I brought her some pictures of family, friends and some of her favorite things from home. Refrigerator Ken was in those pictures, right along side her soccer ball and a few other items, providing a much needed laugh. I suspect he will be with us for some time to come.