One thing after another: big car repair then after a week it is returned and there is an odd (cat liquid evidence smell) along with the reduced but large bill, young child finds his dad's pistol, and shoots himself in the head through the eye and lives, but a couple of families gather around to comfort and pray. We chime in by watching three grandbabies: 3, 5, not quite 7. One not housebroken, sweet five year old, throw up upset stomach with urinary track inflamed, the oldest wild adventurous and full of attitude. Okay, not so bad until the indoor sleeping bag got soaked, and the hot water heater in the west hallway burst and flooded two closets and two hallways. It gets better. The 1st Response plumber, nice young man and new hire, did not know what he was doing, but did get the hot water heater installed. (Not correctly, but in place.) Dry Force came out, set up fans, tore apart baseboards, cut out part of the dry wall, and provided deafening noise for three damn daze. Could not get hot water, or sleep, or a straight answer. Enough already. Fans removed after only three industrial strength noise. Car stink dissipated thanks to the YouTube cure, not olive oil but vinegar. Finally the plumbing issue, no we did not want to wait for a part to be delivered to repair the brand new hot water heater, and it is okay you popped the front door handle on your exit, we want hot water today. Took four phone calls and a visit from a competent technician, thank you, Cody, who took the parts from another unit and installed them, corrected the missteps of the initial installation, and in a couple of hours: Hot Water. Fantastic. The little boy with the gun shot wound? He is recovering, nothing like a premature birth to toughen up a kid. Thank You Jesus. The rest of the messes? In time the boards will be back in place and repainted, and the families will drift on down the road like we always do. Golly I even got a call from Ronald, my brother who I hear from every couple of years. Love.
