Spectacular Household Catastrophe

Dear Nicholas, It’s not as if Bob and I are under fire in Gaza or Ukraine, but our week of household problems has been impressive. And sometimes non-life-and-death things, the household catastrophe, can really rattle a person.

The title of this note could be: The Night The Waterbed Burst. I got up in the wee hours Monday night and discovered that the carpet underfoot was squishy-wet. Same on the other side of the bed.

The Water, The Smell

This bed has served us well for 25+ years (yes, we live like old hippies). But this bed, which had sprung a leak underneath, is no more. Now it’s a big pile of aqua plastic or rubber or whatever. And the carpet reeks of mildew. All to be torn out.

Walt, our marvelous helper with repairs, told me to take all our clothes, Bob’s and mine, downstairs so they wouldn’t be hopelessly mildewed too. (I’d tell you Walt’s last name but he doesn’t want any more jobs like this.) Living room now piled with clothes and some of these are going out instead of back upstairs.

The waterbed has been draining for a couple of days through tubes going out windows on two sides of the room. It’s still heavy, though. I’ve been doing some online research on conventional mattresses that fit into the unconventionally-sized huge built-in waterbed frame. Fun!

And More…

That same day of the waterbed, Bob and I were coming home from his doc appointment (his health doesn’t allow his taking part in this household project.) We stopped on the way and got a drive-through lunch. About an hour and a half later, we were both violently ill.

Food poisoning! More fun!

The Plumbing

We’ve both recovered. But we had already been having worrisome problems with toilets: one clogged again this morning. As I write, the septic-tank-draining man is at work outside. His equipment hums. The bathroom problem is one thing that’s going to be quickly fixed.

Taking Stock

Bob and I are safe and happy together. And though we’re troubled by the state of the nation–and I’m always preoccupied with his health–we’re weathering these household dramas.

I could think of this experience as an invitation to do some serious clean-up and organizing. This is needed: Bob has lived in this house about 50 years and I’ve been here 42+. I’m messy and he’s way worse. Stuff has accrued. So we may come out of this with a neater household…or at least two neater closets.

And one day soon, I’m sure I’ll find all this amusing.

Peggy

Oops, septic tank man tells me there are probably tree roots clogging the pipes. Problem may not be entirely taken care of….

 

 

 

 

Categories: Uncategorized

Tags: carpet reeks, clean-up and organizing, food poisoning, household problems, neater closets, neater household, old hippies, problems with toilets, septic tank, sprung a leak, tree roots clogging the pipesreeks of mildew, violently ill, waterbed burst