Of Floods, Mice, and Holes in the Yard - And Roping

Another crazy day in the life of Janie, Zack and Zanna. (Subtitled: This crap never happens when MLH is home!)

Yesterday morning, I woke up at 4 a.m. Now, tell me, how restful is that? When that happens, there’s absolutely no way to go back to sleep, because it’s a 6:30 a.m. take breakfast into customer day. Took the dogs out, and decided to start the dishwasher. Caught up on some e-mails, and hopped into the shower. Ran to the kitchen to feed the dogs, give Zack his meds, and stepped in water. Lots of water. All...over...the...kitchen...floor...water.

Oh, no, you diiiiiiidddddn’t, you say.

Oh, yes, I did. And it’s about 45 minutes before I’m due at Chick Fil A.

I order my customer breakfast food the night before, so I knew that in 45 minutes, Maria at Chick Fil A would have 5 large chicken mini trays ready, and 16 burritos. Waiting on the counter, steaming, for me to pick up. At 6:30 a.m. on the dot. I have to be there.

I called MLH. With flashlight in hand, I tried to unplug the leak detector on the RO unit, MLH trying to talk me through it. We have pullout drawers under our sink, and they fit like a glove. Little hard to pull out when they’re loaded down with cleaning supplies. I unloaded the dishwasher, which I expected was the culprit. I knew the plumber, once he arrived, was going to have to pull it out.

Time is ticking away. My hair is drying in it’s “just got out of the shower” screaming state and needs major attention.

I decide to feed the dogs outside, throw towels all over the kitchen floor to begin the drying out process, and slam into clothes and quick fix makeup and hair. Then, I go pick up the towels and put them in the washroom, where lo and behold, I see…

A mouse. Aaaaarrrrrrgh!

(Notice how, in color and in font, the mouse got more attention than the flooded kitchen? Thus is my life.)

I hop onto my computer (aw, don’t be so literal) and send an e-mail to my exterminator friend.

“ Mice police! Mice police! Will you come back and implement another strategy, please sir? More poison and more stickies? I saw a mouse and I know it’s getting colder, so one means a million, I need HELP!!!….”

I get the breakfasts delivered. Work all day. The plumber comes, and fixes everything. The exterminator comes, and does his deal. In doing so, finds moisture under the air conditioner unit inside the house. So, another call to the plumber will be inititated.

And, the electrician came over today. Seems my outside lights are history, and my sprinkler system has quit watering. They do all their investigative work. And of course, the short is underground. Underground in the front yard. Somewhere. There are now little holes all over my yard. And they ALMOST got it fixed, but needed another part. And the supply store closes at 4 p.m. So they’ll be back on Monday. But I’ll be out of town.

Elder Son, Younger Son, Banker Girlfriend and I are going to Phoenix to see Two Amazing Songwriters, Marty and Travis and won’t be back until Monday night.

In our once sometimes twice a day phone call, I inform MLH of all that’s happening. You know what he said?

MLH: Honey, we need to go over some things about the house before I leave town next time.

Janie: Ya think?

And I'm thinking: (Yeah, baby, we’re going to go over some things, allright. You bet we are. You may never leave this house again. I may put a monitor on ya. You might just have a new vocation: House Honey. Can you make money doing that?)

No. I didn’t think so. Dang it.

Here's a cool thing. I googled Elder Son, and this is one of the things that came up...not that I'm a proud mom, or anything like that.

"***Congratulations to Elder Son for winning the Average and short round riding Cowboy at the Tuley Productions Truck Roping in Glen Rose, TX***"