Welcome Home

When we got home from Europe last week, naturally, we were very spent and tired.  Those symptoms joined others and we found ourselves very sick in the days following our return.  Sick enough that we called the clinic wondering if we should be tested for that little bug we've heard one or two things about.  But, we hadn't been to China (only an international film festival, with teams from all over the world) and we weren't short of breath (and, we suspect, the tests and facilities just aren't available...) so we were not and still have not been tested.  Whatever we've got is either about the worst cold we've ever had, or ... well who knows.  But, we're sequestered away just like everybody else.  My hermit-like tendencies and compulsive hand-washing have prepared me fairly well for what life has turned into.

Anyway, so we came back and felt lousy.  Such is life.  I took a couple more days off work, Kim somehow kept working but from home.

Then, Saturday morning, a valve near our water mains failed.

Our basement was still in a sorry state from having drainage put in, from months ago when it was being flooded from the outside.  The maybe-salvageable carpet was rolled back and bins of packed-up stuff were shoved over to the walls where that flooding had not hit.  Such placement put it all right in the path of being flooded from the inside.

That's all the sides, right?  Outside and inside?  Is there anywhere else from which water is going to invade our basement?

Oh, I complain.  I sure did (mainly in cough/wheeze form) as I cut, rolled up, and carried out soaked carpet and foam, while barely feeling well enough to do so.  But, I'm glad I had help (who was also barely well enough for such labor) and we're glad it all happened after we got back instead of while we were away.  We're glad a plumber and someone from the city were able to come that same day to get the valves fixed and the house's water running again.  We're glad we hadn't yet redone the basement, only to have it trashed when this happened.

And we're extra glad that Autumn ran downstairs and started meowing in a strange, attention-drawing manner.

One just has to laugh at life sometimes.

Life has been busy throwing curve balls lately, not just at us (though I have omitted a couple of doozies) but in general.  Luck be with you, everyone.  And since that clearly can't be counted on, let's try and be good to each other, all right?