Dear Leigh,
Grumbling as a first response appears to me quite normal as it is an emotional response. The issue would be when one sticks on that first response without engaging the intellectual one. I like a lot your personal story to illustrate your point. Allow me to use your own story to illustrate my point and let's imagine that, in addition to your fridge problem, you had to deal with two, three or four change situations on a short period of time, in a personal or in a professional context. The emotional burden will be much more significant and it will be much more difficult to stop grumbling and in the end to engage the intellectual response with, preferably, a positive attitude. Thank you for sharing. Best regards.