VINDICATED

If you've been reading SisIggy's blog, you may recall we had water issues earlier in the week. Specifically, whenever Heir I takes a shower, we run out of water. Our water supply is an underground reservoir and we pay a local company $65 to deliver us 1,500 gallons of chlorinated water on a monthly basis. We also have two downspouts that empty into it providing us with water from God.

During the summer -- the drought -- we were having the tank filled with 3,000 gallons every four weeks. In mid-October I opted to have the tank filled to capacity - 4,500 gallons - because you never know when bad weather will hit and the truck won't be able to deliver right away.

Less than 15 days later Heir I was taking and shower and we heard @#$^*( from the bathroom. I called and had a load delivered and our hauler informed me we must have a leak.

Duh.

Four-and-a-half days later Heir I was taking another shower. You know the drill: @#$^* and %%% for good measure came from the bathroom.

Again we called and water was delivered. I then called our landlord and told him we had a leak.

The reservoir repair company arrived this morning and pumped out all that precious water I had bought. After cleaning it they checked for any nook or cranny that may have been causing the problem.

Two areas were found. One, the size of a pin-prick and the other that would have made Old Faithful proud. That was the one I told them about before they started and that's why I feel I am now vindicated.

New water will arrive this afternoon and Heir I can take another shower to test the repair. If we don't hear @#$^*( escaping from the bathroom we'll know the fix was right.

The landlord also informed me that come spring, he's going to hook this house up to his well. Ordinarily, I would think Great. But I have too many memories about another well I once owned that had pump problems every time the wind chill hit the teens and snow was a foot deep.

At least it will be his problem and not mine.

Afterwards, we will have this nice new space underneath the carport:


Heir I has always said he wanted a private bedroom instead of the open space we now call the basement. It may be a little damp - but so is where he sleeps now. I believe we have answered his prayers.

A morning without power, a day without comfort

I wonder how they did without it in the old days?

Electricity. Can't stand the high cost but can't live without it.

We found that out this morning. Way early this morning.

We awoke to a constant beeping coming from the computer's battery backup. It was still dark outside and SisIggy commented from under the covers: "The electricity must be out. Get up and close the window. We don't want to lose anymore heat from the house."

I did. And noticed it was rather chilly in the house. But not as chilly as it would get.

Heir 2 got up on his own, fumbled in the darkness to dress and wondered aloud why he couldn't run any water from his sink. He wanted to finish a paper he didn't finish last night and wanted to get to school where he could.

I helped him clean the snow off his car (we had about an inch) and then went in search of coffee for Sis. While on the road I saw why we had no power. A crew was replacing a downed pole (I'm blaming it on VDOT who wouldn't sand or salt the road even though the headquarters was less than a stone's throw from the accident scene). I went around it - three miles around it - and got coffee and a donut for my bride.

At 7:30 I called DomVAPower to report the outage and got a recording that all would be fixed by "9:15 am". We waited.

Everything I do is contingent on electricity. Simple things like looking at a clock. Watching Morning Joe or Imus while I drink my coffee (I didn't have any today) and eat my hot breakfast. And, of course, getting on the computer to work, read my three newspapers, check blogs and the weather.

Today of all days I actually had work planned. I needed to research and call in five Ms Utility tickets for work I have planned next week.

And instead, we waited.

I called for an update after 9:15 and found it was now scheduled for 10:15. Additional calls stated 11:15 and 11:45. Power came on around 11:30 -- just long enough to run a liter of water and boot the computer. And then it went dark again. And colder.

Sis was bundled in her sweater, a fleece jacket and her "bum gloves". I had on a jacket and one, two or three pups sitting on my lap.

As soon as the power went out again, I called and found out power would be restored by 1:15pm. Seems the DomVAPower crew broke for lunch. The eat lunch. We can't.

Fortunately, power came back on around 12:30.

I waited 15 minutes just to make sure before I got on the computer to start my day.

First Snowfall

It's not much but I guess you can call it an appreciable snow...