Saturday, July 4, 2009

FIRE, FLOOD & ZOMBIES 2, minus the fire and the zombies


Zombies.

They're not here yet but I suspect they're on their way.


I have just experienced flood # 2, yes NUMBER 2, since I moved in here 4 months ago. This one wasn't even my fault.


I've been dealing with a lot of pent up emotional stuff recently and things have been coming at me like a roller coaster. I had just hauled myself off to the cancer councilor and as I was walking home I got a little skip in my step and felt this sense of calm float over me. I thought, "Everything is going to be okay." I rejoiced in my brief prelude to happiness.


Then I opened my front door.


Something was amiss.

My son was perched upon a chair on the phone and I heard him say, "Grandma, I gotta go." Then I saw the dark carpet and felt the squish of water under my feet. I ran in and everything was a blur until I found the hot water heater gushing gallons of water out the bottom. I cranked the main water valve and shut it off as quickly as I could.

Too late. The water continued creeping across the entire main floor as I called the custodian emergency line and grabbed a bucket and the dust pan. My son and I began scooping up water, filling buckets and moving anything important off the floor.

The destruction was complete. Luckily the custodian came as well as people with a machine that had water sucking capabilities. I panicked and called my older sons friends who came over and began moving furniture. The water heater was removed and replaced, the carpet was ripped up and all my furniture was piled in hallways, outside and my couch (as well as a huge painting) was dumped into my kitchen.


I have been living in hell and chaos ever since. Time to put on my big girl socks. Stripey socks can help you cope with most of life's maladies, and of course floods are a great excuse to take photos. Can you see the subtle visual sarcasm?


So, it turns out that this is what happens when you have a 17 year old water heater. I wish they had figured that out before I moved in.

3 comments:

Captain Skulduggery Dug said...

I have to laugh because your comment about stripy socks is so true. On my most down days or most stress filled days, pulling on a pair of thigh high stripy socks always makes me feel more powerful and in control. Who'd have thought socks with bands of colour around them could be so powerful?

I hope all the damp wet floors get sorted out soon so you can get the place back to normal. Make the boys walk around with mops strapped to their feet.

The stone floors in out house at the moment are so covered in mud and sawdust I think maybe a flood would do it some good. *sigh* I hope, once the path in the garden is laid and the Chicken run is finished being made, we will once again be able to have a clean floor in our house.

Jens said...

We call them "Ringelsocken" (Ring + Socken). Apparently there is no English word that says exactly the same. For us, it looks more like rings.
My niece has those in which the toes are separate from each other (like gloves).

This damn water heater. But funny photos. And cool fan.

Sara Diana said...

great socks!