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| Not looking any too comfortable…or happy…a cardinal hunkers against this morning spitting snow, awaiting his turn at the feeder. |
We knew they couldn't last, those unseasonable days hovering near the 60˚F mark we'd lately been enjoying. They were simply February's unseasonable gift, a foretaste of what we might—might!—more reasonably expect toward the end of March. So when yesterday's cold rain turned to a hard-driving sleet, and later still to a bit of icy snow, only the hopelessly optimistic were surprised. This morning it's 22˚F with the day's expected high around 30˚F; obviously, winter is back to being winter, at least for a few more weeks.
Yesterday morning, fellow father-in-law Rich came over to redo the shower/bathtub plumbing, replacing a mixing unit that had lately picked up speed in its leaking. I'm useless when it comes to plumbing, as I am in many things of a practical nature. Rich is a first-rate engineer, who'd just returned Friday from months of government-contract work in Florida, building and calibrating a platform for testing jet engine fuel systems.
As it often does with these "little' home maintenance chores, the job turned out to be bigger, more difficult, and costlier than first thought. Walls hide many secrets, and one thing always leads to another. Not quite to the point where we have to remodel the entire bathroom—but close. Rich worked until almost midnight, when I made him quite and go home. It will take at least a few more days to finish the not-little-at-all repair.
I now feel bad about roping Rich into a family-favor job almost before he'd unpacked his suitcases—though I thank God for a friend and family member with a generous heart who knows how to sweat-solder a joint in copper tubing. Still, from Rich's point of view, getting ensnared in such a plumbing nightmare, plus snowed and sleeted on after months in warm and sunny Florida, couldn't be the sort of "welcome home" he expected.
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18 comments:
HEY GRIZZ-
Can Rich come over here next week? We have to deal with the remnants of the water fiasco - get under the kitchen and bathroom floors, 'Pergo laminant and tile'. oh my. oh well.
We too are expecting a icy Wintry mix in a day or so - today is cold and bright. Skipp went off to get some groceries whilst I wait for the insurance guy. Later, it's roast beef sandwiches on home made oatmeal bread, a beer and some lo-salt chips. Nice, huh? We will build a fire and settle in. Tomorrow Gracie-Blue goes to the Vet - we are like proud parents since they haven't seen her since last January.
Hope your bathroom plumbing woes are soon all repaired. Hugs to Rich. And you too,of course. :-)
Love Gail
peace.....
As I always say, a plumber in the family is worth a hundred intellectuals.
I've always said to myself that if I ever built a house, I'd want to incorporate two features (at a minimum): (1) I'd like to make the plumbing (a) accessible , and (b) accessible from the outside of the house wall, not the inside where you have to tear up the place to do a repair; and (2) I'd like to put the refrigerator in a separate closet with an adjustable vent so that I could vent the hot air outside in the summer and inside in the winter. I probably will never do either of these things, and putting the plumbing too close to the outside wall is probably asking for trouble, but both seem so logical to me.
Gosh, Griz. Crocus, plumbers and cardinals. None of which I've seen around here for the duration!!!!
Snow, more snow, cats, mourning doves and blue jays.
We all knew that warm weather wouldn't last, so you'd think we'd all be better prepared for this weather that followed. But for some reason, that isn't the case....
Carolyn H.
Hello my friend, I have been reading your blog regularly but have not commented on all. I love visiting here. Sorry to hear of the trouble with your bathroom, but it is nice to have a family member who knows how to fix these things. Hope your weather has improved.......:-)Hugs
Goodness, must be a season of plumbing crises.
We returned home yesterday from a brief trip out to a house that smelled STRONGLY of electrical something.
Turned out our water heater decided to get fried. Who knows why? But we now are proud (and poorer) owners of a new water heater.
Gail…
Another day spent (mostly) messing around with the bathroom mess. Will it ever end? Dunno. It will be slow with me at work.
I will for sure tell Rich he can expand his volunteer plumbing services…but don't hold your breath. I think he's already learned his lesson with me.
Your evening plans sounded great, hope they turned out the same. Tell Gracie-Blue to be good at the vet's. Take care…
Solitary…
A good plumber, good electrician, and a good auto mechanic would just about be an ideal family. You can have a room full of intellectuals and they still couldn't manage to repair a wheelbarrow.
Scott…
Well, I'm with you on your first idea, but the second one sound like trouble to me. Do you really want to stand outside in the sleet to fix a leaky toilet? And how 'bout us riverbankers who live in stone cottages? Not much chance of access ports through our walls. Nope, a much better second requirement is to have a shut-off valve on every single line so that you can isolate any problem without cutting off water to the rest of the stuff—toilets, sinks, washer, icemaker, heater, etc. Oh, and one of those coupling things so you can take various items and runs of pipe apart without having to work your way all the way back to the main feed line just to replace a sink faucet.
Jenn…
Hey, I'll trade you a dozen cardinals for another plumber or two. Rich and I can use the help!
Carolyn…
Yeah we knew, and I'm not even surprised…but those mild days were sure a welcome relief while they lasted. And in all honesty, I wouldn't want full spring to be here tomorrow if I could have such a request granted. I love the long, slow unveiling. Makes it all the more wonderful, I think.
Just more proof that nothing is as we expect no matter how well we plan ahead.
Little things will well up from the depths of the earth or wherever they come from to disturb the rhythm of our days and make us indebted to someone we least wish to trouble.
Thank God fot good friends and family members who bother to help out. Bless them all.
Bernie…
I'm glad you read and enjoy, and am happy that you comment whenever the spirit moves you. I know how busy things can get sometimes. You're always welcome to lurk quietly or say whatever you like. Hope things are going well—and that you're getting in the mood for spring.
KGMom…
That could possibly have turned out much worse than simply having to replace the heater—what with the electrical shorting and all. I think you dodged one that time. Enjoy your new hot water.
Arija…
Amen to good friends (and family) with kind and generous hearts. Where would I be without them!
Stuff does indeed seem to "well up from the depths of the earth" quite regularly to dash my best-laid plans, alter my schedule, disrupt my days. That's life, and one of the things that keeps things interesting.
...I shouldn't be laughing, but.....sunny Florida to our cold, gray surrounds...and then tack pipes on top of that---poor Rich!! Hope there are no more unexpected repairs.
i think the cold is here to stay for a while...even though it was just a tease last week, I'm thankful it came along and "teased." When the green starts to show this spring and the purple pops right behind...I don't even know what I'll do...really looking forward to it this spring.
Kelly…
Yeah, I really do feel bad about Rich getting stuck in this whole bathroom deal, which turned out to be so much more of a job than either of us envisioned. Plus him having just returned from months in Florida. On top of which…the weather was just awful, especially after what we'd enjoyed only a day or two before. Sometimes, in life, it just seems like you are being forced to play a part in some sort of great cosmic comedy, sorely put upon by one thing coming after another, with maybe an occasional chuckle faintly from on high. I suspect Rich feels that way…
And, alas, the bathroom is not yet finished.
I don't know whether we'll have additional bitter cold days yet this winter, but I don't think the cold is done with us. Last week's unseasonable interlude was just that—not spring, nor even an early harbinger of spring…but just an anomaly. One we all appreciated, for sure, but not something to take serious. Spring will begin creeping in about mid-March, and by month's end, will be starting to show in ernest. I'm looking forward to it, too—and like you, can hardly wait. But wait we must.
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