Plumber x 2

Yesterday morning the plumbers arrived right on schedule to repair our broken well intake pipe. They began digging around 7 and finished by 10. It isn't often that work of this magnitude goes off with out a hitch. I felt like luck was on our side when I turned on the faucet to see flowing water.

Having running water felt wonderful! I immediately loaded the dishwasher, washed my hair and cleaned up the kitchen. Scott and the boys began to stir before noon (they are definitely on their own summer schedules), just in time to run to the farm to pick up our CSA box. The success with the plumbing repair, coupled with an overflowing CSA haul for the week, left me feeling oddly optimistic.

My feeling lucky vibe evaporated as soon as I stepped into my kitchen with my box of veggies. My floor was soaking wet. Puddles were formed under the kitchen sink and a small wave of debris came rushing out of the cabinet when I opened the door. While we were away the pipe under my kitchen faucet ruptured.

I immediately turned off the water, mopped the mess and tried to access the damage. At first I thought that we could simply replace the broken waterline, but further investigation revealed that the issue was more complex than the YouTube tutorial. Unlike the faucets in the videos, our water lines were part of the faucet. It turns out that the faucet I carefully chose 15 years ago was designed to be replaced, not repaired.

We called another plumber and then ordered a new faucet from Lowes. We figured that we could return the faucet if the water line could be replaced, but that it was safer to have it ready in the event that our suspicions were correct. Unfortunately, the plumber confirmed that we needed to replace the entire faucet.

Several hundred dollars later, we had running water in our kitchen (again). I am really, REALLY tired of water issues!

Pool Time

We were met with a heat wave when we arrived home from Ohio. The heat is oppressive, but Timmy and I didn't mind. I worked through the morning so that I could spend the afternoon splashing and playing in our pool. The cool water felt fabulous on such a hot day!

Timmy and I had a blast in our pool. We played for nearly four hours and, although I was exhausted as the afternoon wore on, I enjoyed every moment. I know that in a few years I won't be Timmy's favorite playmate. Until that time, I plan on soaking up the time with him.

Being able to play in the afternoon certainly makes getting up early worth the effort. I'm certainly not a morning person but I am learning to enjoy the quiet hours when everybody is asleep. It is amazing how much I can accomplish when the house is silent.

Unfortunately our heat wave is short lived. Today we are supposed to have more rain which means we have another day inside. Sigh. At least we had fun in the sun yesterday.

I'm hoping that the rain isn't too steady because the plumbers are scheduled to fix our leaky pipe. They have to dig a significant hole next to our house in order to access the broken water line. If the weather is stormy I doubt the workers will dig outside. 

Fingers crossed that the weather won't keep the plumbers from their task. I'm tired of not having water in the house and I am looking forward to having the pipes flowing again. 

 

 

 

Home

After a few hot days and an extremely long 7.5 hour drive, we are finally home. We had a nice visit with Scott's family. After not seeing everybody last year, it was wonderful to be able to reunite at the annual family picnic. 

Yesterday morning we packed up our rented van, said our goodbyes and headed home. Despite having more room in the van, the boys still found ways to annoy each other. I would have thought that the eight year difference between them would diminish their bickering, but that theory was disproven a long time ago.

7.5 hours of bickering, competing YouTube videos and game noises and sitting took a toll on both Scott and me. By the time we pulled into the driveway we were both ready to scream! Thankfully the boys were content to spend time by themselves for the rest of the evening, allowing me the opportunity to relax and to catch up on work.

Today I am resuming my summer schedule. I'm up early working with the hopes of logging off for a few hours this afternoon. Our pool is warm and the water is crystal clear. I can't wait to hop in and have some fun for awhile.

Still Here

 I am not going to be blogging for the next few days, until our trip is over. 

Ohio

Yesterday we packed up a rented van and drove 7 hours to Southern Ohio. This morning we are waking up at Scott's childhood home for our annual summer visit.  I think that is all I will say today.

Have a great weekend. 

Inconvenience

The plumber came yesterday afternoon and diagnosed a leak in the pipe leading into the house. (No surprise since that is what we expected.) Unfortunately, he will have to work from outside the house, which means that digging is involved. Sigh. This is going to be a huge (and unexpected) project. 

Until the issue is fixed, we are only turning on the well pump intermittently. A few times a day we are turning it on so that we can wash dishes, take showers and flush the toilets. Other than those times, the water is turned off. Talk about an inconvenience! 

I keep trying to remind myself that, in the scope of the world, we are fortunate to have leaking pipes and water issues. So many people in the world don't have running water. For too many, my inconvenience of having to turn on the electricity to the pump would be a pure luxury. I'm trying to keep my perspective on my frustrations, but I have to admit that it isn't easy.  

It still stinks!

My Clean House Sprung a Leak

 Because yesterday was rainy (again) and we were stuck inside, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to thoroughly clean and declutter the house. I am not an individual who enjoys the process of cleaning. In fact, if I were to rate my housekeeping I would land squarely at a 5. I don't lack the skills, but I certainly lack the motivation. 

Every once in awhile the mood strikes me to thoroughly clean everything. Yesterday was one of those days. While the boys busied themselves with their computers and television, I spent the afternoon scrubbing, purging the junk and organizing. I was exhausted when I was done, but the satisfaction of sitting down in a clean house is amazing.

Unfortunately, my clean house vibe didn't last long. I went into our basement to locate a prosthetic foot and discovered a massive water leak. I don't know how long the water has been flowing because we haven't been in the basement for several days. The water was leaking long enough to cover 3/4 of our basement garage.

I felt like crying. I felt like hiding. I felt like screaming. None of these reactions would have helped the situation.

Instead, we rallied and got to work. Robby picked up the water logged papers and assorted items to trash. (He ended up filling three contractor size trash bags.) I mopped and used the wet/dry vacuum to remove as much of the water as possible. Scott worked to locate the source of the leak.

The water seems to be seeping through the cinder block wall directly underneath the well water intake pipe. We are hoping beyond hope that the leak is in the L-joint pipe that is directly above the oozing block. Of all of the repair options, replacing that joint will be the easiest and the cheapest. 

This morning I am waking up in a clean house with no water. (We cut the electric to the well pump to stop the leaking.) We are waiting for the specialized plumber who promised to make it here sometime today. Until then, we are in water damage triage mode.