An Old Testament Week

We're starting to feel chastened like the children of Israel around here.
It began with our heater, which hasn't worked 100% yet this year. Despite having thrown $1,200 and several hours at it, only 3/4 of the house has heat. The other quarter is, of course, the one we live in all day.
On Wednesday I started a load of laundry and dropped Sebi off at school. Then Joss and I went to B##%*$ and No$#&*! to buy a couple more things for my packages. I had 9 (count 'em!) ideas and that loathsome excuse of a bookstore had one -- ONE in stock. So I went to Pier 1 looking for something "cute". I noticed that neither of these stores have carts, and I hadn't brought the stroller, so I was reduced to either chasing Joss around as he pulled books and knicknacks off the shelves, or putting him up on my shoulder. As to the former, has a predilection for the vampirical books (like everyone else) and as to the latter, he was a very loud and abusive hat. I gave up and I'm sending y'all a gift card. That's why.
We came home to find the laundry room floor flooded. The washer is on an exterior wall, and when it gets really cold, the drain freezes. So you don't know you're in trouble until you're halfway through a wash cycle, and then even if you turn it off it is still spewing gallons of water out the pipe. I probably came home 20 minutes after it had happened, because it had already begun to drip down into our cold storage closet. Which would be where we keep our food storage, luggage, decorations, toys, camping gear, and a lot of other homeless items.
I mopped up the laundry room with towels, but I had to call Rob for some weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth before I could face the damage downstairs. He was a superhero and came home. He emptied out the closet, dried off shelves, set out the damp things and threw away the ruined stuff.
We managed to pull it back together over the next two days, and then it flooded again on Friday morning. Rob opened the window and shoved the steaming tube outside, spewing soapy water across the driveway. Then he decided to get even. He started coaxing boiling water down the drain, emptying it out when it got too full. As he said "You think that if you start the day sucking soapy water out of a tube, it can only get better from there. You would be wrong."
He dealt with a neurotic colleague for an hour. I dealt with a child who has now lost every single bathing suit and cannot go to swim practice (and the usual toddler who wants to scribble on the furniture, break glass, and play in kitty litter, though that is simply the leitmotif of my days right now). Then at 5:00pm, the kids were roughhousing and Sebastian broke his arm. Same kid, same bone, same orthopedic surgeon, same month as last year. He breaks his falls with his left elbow.
I loaded him up in my trusty van and made my third trip to the ER with a little broken-armed boy. I met Rob there and he took over as hospital advocate while I fed the other kids dinner and tried to put Will back together. He had pushed Sebi off a bean bag and was inconsolable. Dr. Macarthur decided it would be more humane to set the bone in the morning, so we brought him home, doped him up and fed him peach soup.
He and Rob are off now having surgery so he can get a pin and a bionic arm like his cousin Hazel. We'd appreciate your prayers on his behalf. And as for the rest of us, pray that we are able to escape the snakes, toads, or hemorrhoids that must already have our name on them.

Comments

Angela said…
MaryAnn,

I am so sorry to read about your Old Testament week. It sounds very trying. Thank goodness you and Rob are in it together. Poor Sebastian. I hope his surgery goes well. Hugs!
Brenda said…
Great to hear about your life and adventures. Hang in there! (Floods are the WORST)
ashley said…
What a horrible day! We'll definitely send all the love, good karma and blessings your way. :)
Zina said…
Oh, my. I'm sitting here wanting to come up with a solution to each of your woes, but I guess sometimes sympathy's the best thing to offer--and yes, we'll pray for Sebi. Also I do have a recommendation for a really great plumber who might be able to find a permanent solution to your freezing pipe problem--his name's Chris Kelly and his outfit is Kelly's Rescue Plumbing and he does a great job for a very fair price and is very honest (and a bit of a character, but in a good way). Oh, and you might already know this, but I've heard that aiming a hot blow dryer at a frozen pipe is a good way to thaw it out.

Well, I'll hope those were the last of your plagues . . . I'm guessing you're not keeping any captive Israelites in your basement, so you ought to be due for a break.
Johanna said…
It´s christmas time ....
there´s no need to be afraid.....
I´m very sorry for you .It reminds me on constantins accident 8 years ago ,where he had to spent christmas and new year at the ICU .we never had such a quiet christmas time since than. and that´s not ironic.i know you will have the same support from up above ,like we had !
greetings from vienna ,and i am really looking forward to will´s toaster oven!
Jennette said…
Oh dear...that is quite the list o' disasters. I'm laughing and I'm crying for you because it's so incredible. Talk about a campaign of shock and awe.

Our best for Sebi and for you and Rob while surviving everything else.

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