2011? Not So Great So Far

The first two days of 2011 were wonderful. Granddaughter Olivia was baptized on day one then granddaughter Charlotte was blessed on day two. It went straight downhill from there.

Day three was spent busier than heck at work trying to get three days of work done because I was going to be off the next two.

Day four was colonoscopy prep. That's not a college prep school. It consists of completely cleaning out your digestive tract by consuming only clear liquids for 24 hours and downing industrial strength laxative pills. This cleans the system like a white tornado. Or in my case, a blue one. I made the grand mistake of using blue jello as part of my clear liquid diet. I felt like Grandpa Smurf. Put as delicately as possible, poo should NOT be blue!

Day five, colonoscopy. Docs put me out (thankfully) and a camera where the sun don't shine. The procedure was tons better than the prep because I had a wonderful nap while it was happening. A&D Ointment became my best friend. The only redeeming social value of the day was when a Mexican (from Hermosillo) came by the house while I was recuperating and wanted to know if the yard ornament Prizm was for sale. I sold it to him for $100 and 3 dozen tortillas. It is now living a happy life in Mexico.

Day six, back at work. In my absence they pushed a new version of our database (PEX). I am the PEX administrator for my squadron. Nothing works. For anyone. RATS! I spend all day fixing and fixing and fixing. Very little scheduling, just fixing.

Day seven. Get to work at 6:30AM to try to get some scheduling done. Work until 6:00PM, still can't print out the schedule. Give up and go home for a late start on date night.

Day eight. Awake from a good night's rest with an improved attitude and ready to get something (anything) done. Decide to find/fix water leak that has caused a $92 bill followed by a $162 one. I had previously sent Pete out to check the meter when we had nothing using water in the house to see if it was still turning and he said "No." I thought it best to check for myself and found that it was indeed still turning. It turns out he had checked the gas meter.

Upon searching for the leak I find an oasis in the middle of the yard under the swing set. Eureka! Broken pipe between the house and the faucet at the back of the yard. Easy fix. We don't need to use that faucet anyway. Benjamin comes over and in less than an hour and less than $10 the problem is solved, the meter is no longer turning, Benjamin is back at his home and I am watching football. God is in His heaven. All is right with the world.

Ten minutes later Bekah informs me that there is no water in her bathroom. Great. I dig up the pipe to find that we have cut the water supply to that entire addition to the house. Benjamin comes back and he, Danny, and Joshua spend until 10:30PM digging a trench around the house so we can replace ancient paper-thin steel piping the the idiot previous owner snaked all over who knows where.

It is now day 13. The guys have successfully cut through the concrete slab and have the new lines run. We may have water to the washer and Bekah's room by tomorrow. I was off work yesterday having an endoscopy. It's much like the procedure last Wednesday but from the other end (ENDoscopy?) and without all the nasty prep. At work, we still can't print the schedule.

I can hardly wait to see what the rest of the year brings.

Addendum: Day 14. Woke up to water soaked carpet in the hall by the furnace room. Oh joy.