A record chill is hitting the US with an estimated 50% of Americans bracing for sub-zero temperatures. Whether or not it happens that way (it is only a forecast) my house became a casualty.
It was the perfect storm.
Shane and I spent Friday shoveling and playing outside. What I didn't know was that Shane also managed to nudge a rake so that it blocked the garage door from closing.
Carrie and I brought Shane home for his nap a little after 1:00 PM Saturday. He woke up at 4:00 PM and I brought him downstairs.
I don't remember why I went into the garage, but I do remember when my first step went squish.
I absorbed what I could in the following five seconds. My next action was to jump back inside and shout upstairs, "Carrie! I need you!"
I trusted my wife would follow and find Shane as I vaulted down the stairwell. I turned off the main water supply and rushed back out to figure out what I was looking at.
Carrie took over Shane-care and I began investigating. I snapped some very shaky video (sorry) as I found the leak, assessed the damage, and started to clean up.
I was still cleaning out the garage when Carrie opened the door. She'd found more water in the basement.
Thankfully, the water downstairs was contained. It didn't quite reach the new flooring. There must have been a small crack in the concrete that allowed some water to seep in.
The good news is that most of the water flowed outward and not into the cache of assorted junk and forgotten things lining the garage. If anything, the "Challenge of the Hour" was a good excuse to get some cleaning done. There was wet dryer lint accumulating everywhere! That's another project that got moved up my to-do list.
But I digress.
The emergency plumber we called for the flood was $200, but we called back Sherry for $270. The cost was more, but she was the one who figured out our water main was leaking last time. I'm willing to pay extra for quality and good communication skills.
She wasn't available to come until Sunday morning, though. She was out working on Saturday until past midnight. When Carrie called to request a plumber, the company said they were so busy they were referring people to other companies. The other companies were also busy and some of them were referring people right back to them! Consider it a victory for the cold weather.
Sherry found the problem right where I thought it would be. She peeled back some insulation and a pipe was disconnected.
"Here's your problem," she said. "This isn't soldered on right."
There was a secondary pipe coming out of the supply to the washing machine. It looked like someone had expected to put a small sink into the garage at a future date that never came. Two of the connecting pipes separated. There was a nice ring of solder on the smaller pipe where someone clearly miscalculated. They soldered just above where the pipes connected instead of sealing the pipes together.
My bet: after I hit the button to shut the garage door Friday night, it hit the rake Shane knocked over, and reversed course to open (safety feature). Then the 10 degree air whistled into the garage to make it cold enough for the pipe to freeze. Finally, it thawed as the day warmed and the pipes separated and started spewing H2O during Shane's nap.
As a kid, I always figured life got easier as you got older. There would be no more school; no more learning boring things. I'd get a job, the work would have purpose, a paycheck, and I could spend my off hours doing exciting things (or even un-exciting things like playing video games, reading books, and relaxing). I knew kids would be a challenge, but adulthood was going to be the start of a golden age! If I kept working, I'd be able to earn more, live more comfortably, and survive until retirement.
Guess what? Life isn't like that. There's always something more to do, somewhere else to go, and someone else that needs something.
It sure keeps it from being boring. I said it at the end of the basement shaky-cam video "it's the Challenge of the hour. Let's see how we meet it. Love you [Carrie]!!"
I believe challenges will come. Period.
What's important is how you meet them. Don't panic*. Stay positive. Focus on making progress and learning something in the process. I actually enjoy the troubleshooting. I like coming up with theories and then talking to the experts if I have to call them in. I don't enjoy the bill so much, but you do what's necessary. The learning can be really interesting. I try to remember details to get a good story out of the situation later.
I believe challenges are how God tests us, grows us, and leads/loves us. It's what keeps me calm and gives me hope.
In other news, I wonder if I should have been a plumber. Seems like they get a lot of work and can demand a decent wage as the water spouts.
*nerd reference: I can't say "Don't panic" without thinking of a certain 'guide.' Plus, "Fear is the mind-killer." Kudos if you catch both of those.
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