Water goes where it wants to, part 2,372.

"You do know you have a leak in your ceiling, don't you?" Daughter-in-Law Becky asked one afternoon around 3:30 pm.

No, i told her, i can't know about such things unless someone tells me.

"Yeah, the ceiling is dripping in the laundry room, almost right above the water heater."

She led me down the stairs, and sure enough, there was a tiny drip from the ceiling.

Let's see if there's any water turned on in the bathroom upstairs, i said.

"Are you sure it would be that?" she asked.

If there wasn't another floor above the laundry room, i explained, then we'd know the roof was leaking.  Because there's a bathroom right above the laundry room, there's probably a leak in a pipe up there somewhere.

"Well, someone was just up here and flushed the toilet," she said, when a search of said bathroom proved everything was turned off.

That could be it, i said, and sat down to call the home warranty company.  It was interesting, i only had to hold for about 3 minutes, and the representative on the phone not only told me exactly which plumbing contractor they would send, she put it in for them to call me back that afternoon and get me on the schedule.  A leaky pipe can bring down a ceiling, and they want to minimize damage.

After all the trouble we'd had getting help this past summer with the A/C, i was pleasantly surprised it all went so smoothly with them.

The plumber called within the hour and promised to come the following morning, which was fine.  As i would be at the shelter cleaning cat boxes, Sweetie was on high alert to let him in.

He was on time, this plumber, and he and Sweetie called me to ask exactly where the leak was.  As best i could i described the location, and told Sweetie to go upstairs and flush the toilet and see if that got anything going.   He asked me to please run home and help, so i left the shelter.  By the time i got to the house, the flushing had highlighted the problem and i came home to a small hole in the ceiling of the laundry room (i can live with that).

Back to the shelter i went to finish my work, while the plumber replaced the wax ring for the toilet.  We all have high hopes that this repair will take care of it, but the fixtures in this house are old and if we start seeing signs of a leak again we are going to need more extensive work.

This was covered by the home warranty, if it needs more extensive work (part of the pipe under the toilet removed and replaced), it won't be. 



Today is:

Advocate's Day -- India

Bartender Appreciation Day -- with a guide to help you show your appreciation to the Heroes Behind the Bar 

Caldwell Country Christmas Parade & Fireworks -- Columbia, LA, US

Cape May Christmas Candlelight House Tours -- Cape May, NJ, US (tours of homes, b&bs, guesthouses, hotels, and churches for 3 consecutive Saturdays)

Chester Greenwood Day Parade and Celebration/Ear Muff Day -- Farmington, ME, US (celebration of Farmington's most famous resident, the inventor of the ear muff!)

Christmas Candlelightings -- Coshocton, OH, US (Roscoe Village opens for Christmas fun for 3 consecutive Saturdays)

Christmas on the Prairie -- Wahoo, NE, US (Christmas 1800s prairie style; through tomorrow)

Clerc-Gallaudet Week begins -- celebrating the pioneers in education for the deaf

Coats and Toys for Kids Day -- ME, US (charity drive across the state; even if you aren't in that state, there is probably a charity near you that would love to have your help)

Day of Remembrance for Bogatir (Great hero) Svatogor -- Asatru/Pagan Slavic Calendar

Fairy and Goblin Taunt-and-Tease Saturnalia -- Fairy Calendar

Festival for Bona Dea -- Ancient Roman Calendar (goddess of chastity, fecundity, the earth, and fertility; a women's festival)

Festival for Serket/Selket -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (scorpion goddess, who healed from their sting; date approximate)

Holiday Happiness -- Upper Arlington, OH, US (Christmas fun for the family at the local public library)

Hollywood Beach Candy Cane Parade -- Hollywood, FL, US

International Day of Persons with Disabilities -- UN

International Day of the Basque Language

Live: Family Christmas at the Benjamin Harrison Home -- Indianapolis, IN, US (Christmas as it would have been during the life of the 23rd US President)

Make a Gift Day -- internet generated, and go ahead, 'tis the season

Natchitoches Christmas Festival Parade -- Natchitoches, LA, US (the biggest day in the Festival of Lights in Natchitoches, parade day and the first fireworks of the season)

National Apple Pie Day

National Ice Cream Box Day -- internet generated, for those who love ice cream that comes in the rectangular box, and being the first to dig in

National Roof-Over-Your-Head Day -- be grateful you have one

Norskedalen's Old-Fashioned Christmas -- Coon Valley, WI, US (log home Christmas and fun for all; through tomorrow)

Pompaia -- Ancient Greek Calendar (procession dedicated to Zeus; date approximate)

Reinvigorate Your Brain by Reading Something Day -- internet generated, and good to do every day, don't you think?

Shaker Christmas Fair -- Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village, New Gloucester, ME, US (traditional holiday church fair)

Shalako Festival -- Hopi and Zuni Native Americans (dates of main festivals and dance ceremonies vary by area, but usually the weekend nearest the 49th day after the 10th full moon)

SKYWARN Recognition Day -- National Weather Service, NOAA, and Amateur Radio Operators, working together to report dangerous weather conditions

St. Francis Xavier's Day (Patron of African missions, foreign missions, missionaries, navigators, parish missions, Agartala, India; Ahmedabad, India; Alexandria, LA; ) related observance
     San Francisco Javier -- Navarre, Spain (special observances)

Takata no Inoko -- Sakurai, Japan (offerings for peace and good harvests)

Tamale Festival -- El Centro, CA, US (tamales and arts and crafts, a fun way to holiday shop; through tomorrow)

Telescope Day -- marking its invention by Galileo in 1621

Tinsel Day -- remember when this stuff used to contain lead?


Anniversaries Today:

Illinios becomes the 21st US State, 1818


Birthdays Today:

Alicia Sacramone, 1987
Amanda Seyfried, 1985
Bruno Campos, 1974
Holly Marie Combs, 1973
Bucky Lasek, 1972
Brendan Fraser, 1968
Katarina Witt, 1965
Daryl Hannah, 1961
Julianne Moore, 1961
Julianne Moore, 1960
Rick Ravon Mears, 1951
Ozzy Osbourne, 1948
Jaye P. Morgan, 1932
Jean-Luc Godard, 1930
Andy Williams, 1927
Ferlin Husky, 1927
John Backus, 1924
Nino Rota, 1911
Carlos Montoya, 1903
Joseph Conrad, 1857
Charles Alfred Pillsbury, 1842
Gilbert Charles Stuart, 1755


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Camelot"(Musical), 1960
"Troilus and Cressida"(Opera), 1954
"A Streetcar Names Desire"(Play), 1947
Alka-Seltzer, 1931


Today in History:

Sir Thomas Herriot introduces potatoes to England, 1586
In an uprising over mining licenses, which came to be called the rebellion at the Eureka Stockade, more than 20 goldminers at Ballarat, Victoria, Australia are killed by state troopers in what many claim to be the birth of Australian democracy, 1854
The trial of Jefferson Davis starts with the first blacks on a US trial jury, 1868
Settlers arrive at Petach Tikvah, Israel, 1878
The Jovian moon Himalia is discovered by Charles Dillon Perrine, 1904
Neon lights make their public debut at the Paris Auto Show, 1910
The Quebec Bridge, after almost 20 years of planning and construction, opens, 1917
The first successful Technicolor movie, "Tall of the Sea," premiers in NYC, 1922
Chinese refugee ship "Kiangya" explodes in E China Sea, killing 1,100, 1948
Paul Harvey begins his national radio broadcast, 1950
At Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa, a transplant team headed by Christiaan Barnard carries out the first heart transplant on a human, 1967
Pioneer 10 sends back the first close-up images of Jupiter, 1973
In one of the worst industrial disasters ever, a methyl isocyanate leak from a Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, India, kills thousands and injures hundreds of thousands, 1984
In Ottawa, Canada, representatives from 121 countries, not including the US, Russia, or China, sign The Ottawa treaty prohibiting manufacture and deployment of anti-personnel landmines, 1997
XCOR Aerospace makes first manned rocket aircraft delivery of US Mail in Mojave, California, 2005
The Nissan Leaf, one of the first mass marketed electric cars, is launched, 2010

Random

Today feels very random and miscellaneous for some reason.

It's close to Christmas, but the festivities are so far from my mind. The water continues to leak in through our faulty foundation, and we continue to vacuum it up to make sure our downstairs does not become soggy and uninhabitable.

Today is the last Pet Adoption Day before Christmas, and only 2 of the 3 kittens I had hoped to have there for it will be able to go. The third has conjunctivitis, so will have to wait to go up for adoption.

It is the day to pick up our Angel Food Boxes, so we can have dinners for the coming month.

The neighborhood civic association will be selling the luminaries again this morning, and once again this year my pantry runneth over with lots of plastic grocery bags for them to use for the sand they send home with you for the bottom of the bags. After today, I can quit collecting them and go back to my reusable grocery bags.

Somehow, I need to coordinate getting the Angel Food during the distribution time, and get the kittens to PAD (along with Bigger Girl, who is helping with adoptions today), and get the bags over to the club parking lot, all at the same time.

Meanwhile, I'm not sure there will be anyone here to cover keeping up with the water.

Like the waves of the ocean, there will be nothing going on, then wham! everything has to be done at the same time. Then, little or nothing again. Often I will have a couple of weekends in a row with nothing major scheduled, then the next I will be turning people down because everyone wants their event that weekend.

Today, it is picking up and dropping off people, pets, and other things all at the same time, in 3 different areas of town, as well as getting someone to cover water duty.

No wonder it feels so random, and not like a season of peace. There is just too much going on.


Today is:

Fiesta de Santo Tomas, Guatemala (festivities last through Dec. 25)

Look for an Evergreen Day

National Oatmeal Muffin Day

Riddle-Making Trials -- Fairy Calendar

St. William of Fenoli's Day


Birthdays Today:

Alyssa Milano, 1972
Tyson Beckford, 1971
Amy Locane, 1971
Criss Angel, 1967
Jessica Steen, 1965
Jennifer Beals, 1963
Robert Urich, 1946
Richard Leakey, 1944
Alvin Lee, 1944
Tim Reid, 1944
Al Kaline, 1934
Cicely Tyson, 1933
David Susskind, 1920
Ralph Richardson, 1902


Today in History:

Licinius abdicates his position as Roman Emperor, 324
The Seldjuken under Toghril Beg occupy Baghdad, 1055
Benjamin Franklin, under the name Richard Saunders begins publication of "Poor Richard's Almanack", 1732
Thomas Paine publishes his first "American Crisis" essay, in which he wrote that "These are the times that try men's souls," 1776
Chinese troops occupy the capital Thang Long Vietnam, 1788
The US state of Kentucky becomes the first to appropriate money for road building, 1795
The US state of Georgia becomes the first to pass a birth registration law, 1823
Allen Wilson of Connecticut patents a sewing machine that can sew a curved seam, 1854
Albert L. Jones patents corrugated cardboard, 1871
The first black US Catholic priest, Charles Uncles, is ordained in Baltimore, 1891
The first city ordinance requiring separate neighborhoods for blacks and whites is passed, in Baltimore, 1910
Robert Ripley begins his "Believe It Or Not" column in the NY Globe, 1918
The British Broadcasting Corp begins transmitting overseas, 1932

Strange Gifts, and More Water

I have been enjoying the holiday offerings at http://www.mcphee.com/shop/ .

The items there, including remote controlled hopping yodelling lederhosen, bacon bath soap, and inflatable toast, are perfect for those of us with a warped sense of humor.

My sense of humor may be warped, but even I will not be wearing a plunger on my head. (Well, maybe a brand new one, if the "Aints" get to the Super Bowl! That would require doing something over the top.)

Meanwhile, we are still vacuuming up the water as it leaks in. This divides my time into exact 15 minute increments, as the timer turns on the wet vac every 15 minutes, and I jump to move the hose around to get as much water up as I can.

This morning, Bigger Girl will take a shift minding the vacuum and will hang the laundry between times. The rest of us will go to work, then come home to do our homeschool and continue with the water duty.

This evening, Sweetie is working late and we have our usual shift at the cat shelter. Just in time to get more kitten food for the fosters.

Also, #2 Son's room is now leaking again, from under the door or the wall, we are not sure which. Let the attempts to dry the carpet commence.


Today is:

Bake Cookies Day

Be a Friend Day

Hijra (New Year) -- Islam

International Migrants Day

Mother Goose Day

National Roast Suckling Pig Day

Republic Day, Niger

St. Flanan's Day

Wear a Plunger On Your Head Today Day (Observe at your own risk!)


Anniversaries Today:

New Jersey becomes the 3rd US State, 1787


Birthdays Today:

Christina Aguilera, 1980
Katie Holmes, 1978
Earl "DMX" Simmons, 1970
Rob Van Dam, 1970
"Stone Cold" Steve Austin, 1964
Brad Pitt, 1963
Leonard Maltin, 1950
Steven Spielberg, 1946
Keith Richards, 1943
Ossie Davis, 1917
Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, 1917
Douglas Fraser, 1916
Betty Grable, 1916
Ty Cobb, 1886


Today in History:

Second Punic War: Battle of the Trebia - Hannibal's Carthaginian forces defeat those of the Roman Republic, BC218
Kublai Khan renames his empire "Yuan", officially marking the start of the Yuan Dynasty of China, 1271
The English parliament unanimously accepts Protestation, 1621
Thomas Fleet publishes "Mother Goose's Melodies For Children", 1719
Empress Maria Theresa expels Jews from Prague, Bohemia & Moravia, 1774
The first celestial photograph (of the Moon) is made in US, by John Draper, NYC, 1839
William Bond obtains the first photograph of Moon through a telescope, 1849
Richard Wetherill and his brother in-law discover the ancient Indian ruins of Mesa Verde, 1888
The Upper Ferntree Gully to Gembrook Narrow-gauge (2 ft 6 in or 762 mm) Railway (now the Puffing Billy Railway) in Victoria, Australia is opened for traffic, 1900
The Piltdown Man, later discovered to be a hoax, is supposedly found in the Piltdown Gravel Pit, by Charles Dawson, 1912

Three AM

It is 3AM. The rain is steady now, and has been off and on for several days.

So, we shop vac the closet by the laundry room, my personal dungeon. 24/7, we have the timer going. We empty the shop vac regularly, and vacuum up water that seeps into the house between times as well.

This is what we have had to do after big rain storms for years now. No matter how we have tried to remediate the situation, it has come down to this. Vacuum out the water as it makes its way in.

Yet again the engineer and the landscaper have a plan. This time it involves busting up concrete slab in the house and using a sump pump, as well as changing the drainage outside again.

Meanwhile, we sleep in shifts, and vacuum water. Still the rains come.

The leaking will usually continue until 24 to 72 hours after the rain stops, depending on how much rain we get.

3AM, and living in the desert instead of a swamp is starting to look mighty good to me.


Today is:

Alcyone -- Ancient Greek Calendar (kingfisher goddess)

Bill of Rights Day

Cat Herders Day (Talk about a frustrating job! Almost as frustrating as vacuuming water, probably.)

Centipede Boot-Making and Shoe-Repair Season begins -- Fairy Calendar

Constitution Day, Nepal

Firefighter's Day

Kingdom Day, Netherlands, Netherland Antilles

National Lemon Cupcake Day

Navidades begin, Puerto Rico (traditional Christmas celebrations that

lasts through Three Kings Day)

St. Eusebius' Day


Birthdays Today:

Nick Beggs, 1961
Don Johnson, 1949
Dave Clark, 1942
Tim Conway, 1933
Friedensreich Hundertwasser, 1928
Jeff Chandler, 1918
Stan Kenton, 1911
J. Paul Getty, 1892


Today in History:

Byzantine general Belisarius defeats the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer, at the Battle of Ticameron, 533
Hulagu Khan captures and destroys the Hashshashin stronghold at Alamut in present-day Iran as part of the Mongol offensive on Islamic southwest Asia, 1265
Bartholomeus Diaz returns to Portugal after sailing round Cape of Good Hope, 1488
The State of Holland grants patent on a windmill with crankshaft, 1593
The first US law school is established at University of Pennsylvania, 1791
The first Irish magazine in US, Shamrock, is published, 1810
The first street-cleaning machine in US is used in Philadelphia, 1854
The King of Hawaii becomes the first reigning king to visit the Us, and is received by President Grant, 1874
Bandleader, Major Glenn Miller, is lost over English Channel, 1944