The Upside.

Whew.  I'm sitting down and taking a break.  It's been a long couple of hours.

We're having Cate's birthday "just-us-party" tonight, and I've been preparing stuff and cleaning and doing laundry all day.  So when I noticed a little water on the floor by the trash can, I think I groaned and wondered what in the world was leaking from the trash.  I moseyed to the bathroom to find the Clorox wipes.  Then I broke up an argument, untangled a ribbon and helped Ty put a cap-thing back on his lawnmower.

And then I made it back to my little trash-puddle.  Only it wasn't.  Little.  Or from the trash.

As it turns out, the hot water hose on the washer had started coming apart.  And when I went to inspect closer, the whole thing broke.  Yeah.  Hot, spraying water all over me and the laundry room and every.thing. 

Have you ever yelled at your kids ("Just stay BACK!") and at a water hose ("C'MON!  REALLY?!) and your absent husband ("Answer the PHONE!!") all at the same time?  Try it sometime. 

When I couldn't reach the water-turn-off-thing right away, I rushed to empty the trash can and let the hot, steamy water gush into it while I moved the super heavy, full-of-clothes-and-water, washing machine enough to try again.  It didn't work.  And then I had the brilliant idea to kink the hose.  No, I'm not a plumber, just smarter than your average housewife.  (ha. ha.)

The only other water shut-off valve that I knew of was outside by the road.  I wasn't about to have Halle hold the kink while I went outside ( Can't you just hear it:  "Hello, DHS?  Yes, I need to report a burned little 5 year old whose mother is yelling at her for not holding the hose like she was told.")  And with the way I had moved the washer, I couldn't get the hose to reach back in the trash can. 

So I did what I always do in an emergency.  I called my dad.  My 12-hours-away dad.  And he had my answer:  "Use some rope or some tape to hold the kink, and then try to turn off the valve with two hands."  And guess what?  It worked.  (I'm really not so smart after all, huh?)

So now, after the major clean up is over, the box fan is blowing full-blast, and a new hose is on it's way home from the store, I can SIT.  And think about the UPSIDE:

That gross, dusty area behind the washer and dryer finally got mopped.

I got to talk to my dad in the middle of the day.

Ty found his new favorite place in the entire world: SEARS!  (Hello, lawn mower heaven!)

And no one is coming over tonight to see my dirty laundry piled in the kitchen.

 

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If you just sat and read that entire saga- WOW.  I promise to put some pictures on later tonight.  Cate is super-excited about her special supper and party.  :)