A Busy Week

Okay, I have decided to post some of the ordinary/mundane happenings, merely because today was so entirely stressful for me.

I have to back track a bit, though, because the back stories add to the dimension of today's fetidness.

Being water manager, I did my job and read the water meters (in July), ran the math, wrote up the billing letters, and got them delivered. While running the math, I was shocked to discover our water use was the highest it has ever been, and by no small amount. About 2/3 higher, and given that I had to raise the flat rate price of water (to keep up with the main water company), we were like "what the heck?" Our water use this last cycle was higher than during the drought last year, during which we watered our food producing foliage, and we weren't watering the foliage that much (yet). Hubby and I talked about possible reasons/causes, and figured on several probable causes.

Then at some point I was somewhere (not home) when Boy called me to let me know he heard a sort of hissing sound under the kitchen floor and wasn't sure what to do. I had him describe the sound as best he could, asked if he could smell any propane (our water heater is propane; there used to be a propane cook stove, but since the "click click click" flips me out, I use electric-- however, there is still that pipe in the house). I told him I'd be home shortly and they should probably go to the barn (just in case it was gas).

When I got home, I used my 'new' stethoscope (purchased at a great antique store in town, because I've wanted one ever since I was a little girl) on the kitchen floor to listen for the sound. No propane smell, and it wasn't a gas type of hiss. More like water. I asked Hubby to go under the house and check for leaks. Hubby, ah dear Hubby, opened the 'door' to the crawl space (which is under our spider-infested deck), looked in with a flashlight and yelled, "Yup, there's a water leak." I asked him to actually go in and find which pipe or line was leaking and where, which he refused to do. "Call a plumber," he said. I told him plumbers cost a ridiculous amount of money, which we don't have, and we could save a lot of time if we could just find the leak ourselves and see if it was something that we could fix. . . .

There was no "we." It was ME! Okay, I was kind of showing off for my kids. Hubby didn't want to go in the crawl space because of the spiders (which, BTW, he lets crawl on him or he catches them inside and releases them outside). I went in. . . barefoot. A small pool of cold water surrounded my feet almost immediately. It didn't take long for me to find the leak-- it was coming from the grey "RV water line" that goes from the "in" water to the fridge, where it goes through a purifier for our drinking. Having finally found the pinhole leak, the considerable mold growth on the joists, I worked my way out of the crawl space and shut off the water to the fridge (maybe).

I'd figured out that the pin hole couldn't be repaired in that type of line (too small, for starters) and that I could probably just easily replace the line for the cost of a trip to the hardware store and flexible copper line. Things aren't always as simple as they seem, and this isn't the first event lately to prove it. Thanks to a friend who understands my horror of spider-infested, dark, cramped, one-way-out, nightmare-ridden spaces, the "simple fix" took only three days (it was a 1/2 hour job, really, but didn't have all the necessary tools). Still was cheaper than a plumber-- it only cost me two trips to the hardware store and a case of beer. . . and I only have to go back into that nightmare place one more time to apply the weather wrap stuff.

So, that bit of leak was part of the water problem issue. What another (newly named) friend noticed was how disturbed I was after my second day of going into the crawl space. She could tell I wasn't "quite right" later that evening.

Back to slowly "moving in," and doing all those mundane chores, while waiting for the leaked on area under the kitchen sink to dry so I could put everything back (maybe after a fresh coat of paint or something). I stripped the old paint off the plywood the other day, then was letting it dry again.

Sunday I sent an email to a friend of 20 years to see if he was still going to be traveling this way in August and get together as we'd previously written. I got a reply back rather quickly, and with a request-- "can we with you as we'll be out there for a wedding in [our town]?" Not a problem. . .

Oh, but my house is a mess!! I can get it to "okay" in a week's time, I thought.

Took my birthday off to not do any real work and forced myself out of the house. I went to a yarn store that should have been "simple" to get to, but I ended up getting lost and having to do quite a bit of turn arounds. I finally stepped up to the door, just as the shop keeper was putting the lock on for closing (it closed at 5pm). Hot, hungry, and extremely frustrated at getting lost and the particular area being considerable larger than I expected--thus more people--, my shoulders slouched in disappointment as I read the store hours. The shop keeper saw me (she was talking on her cell), and to my amazement took off the lock and let me in!!  I got to do a 'quick' (45 minutes in a new-to-me yarn store is hardly a breath!) shop, at and as she rang up my purchase, I asked the shop clerk if I'd made it "worth her while" to have stayed open for me. She replied, "Oh, definitely." I can't wait to go back there when I actually have time to really peruse. In the meantime, I'm thoroughly enjoying crocheting up my gorgeous, hand-dyed merino wool capelet-- so soft and gorgeously colored! Ahhhhh.

There have been continued "hiccups" to completing the many tasks and chores on my buffet.

Then today happened. . . maybe I should make a separate entry for today-- it's gonna be about as long as this entry!

~Cedeham~