The 12 Days of Christmas Begins with a Gift of Plumbing

Today I was up at 8:00 and went to have my car's oil changed while I sat in a nearby Chick-fil-A reading a People magazine and having a chicken biscuit and coffee.  Next stop was having my hair cut and highlighted. Good Saturday so far. Eight or 9 weeks ago in the same chair my hairdresser told me I needed to go out once in a while with Hubs, just the two of us.  Yes, I told her, we will soon.

Today we were going to go out shopping and maybe have a bite to eat together.  We were going to look for a new loveseat because when we watch TV we have a sofa that is perpendicular to the TV and need additional seating.  We'd love a loveseat to put in front of the TV, which is near the fireplace--maybe even a reclining one.  That is what we said we'd get each other for Christmas.

After I got back home I checked my email and there was an email back from the water company.  I had finally gotten around to sending them a note as to why our water bill had doubled or and tripled in the past couple of months (no one there ever answered the phone which is why I emailed).  A customer service rep suggested looking at the meter out front to see if the meter was running and had suggestions on how to determine if we had a leak.  Yeah, right, I thought.

So we lifted the metal grate and looked down in the dirt...and there was water bubbling.  I called the emergency hotline and was told...if the leak is on our side of the meter (as opposed to the street) the problem is ours.  It was.  Panic mode set in as our elderly neighbor across the street told us he had the same problem a few years back and the pipes had to be fixed from the street all the way to the house.  Well, Hubs dug around the bubbling leak and was glad to see the pipe was copper (and not polybutylene).

The good news is a plumber was there within an hour and that I had a coupon for $25 off any service over $150 and bad news is the job cost the same as a new loveseat.  New plans for the evening = staying home and watching a movie on our sofa.

Soon I was off to pick up the two oldest boys -- and as I drove off I couldn't but think of this old Kenny Loggins song (Danny's Song): "and even though we ain't got money, I'm so in love with ya honey.."

Earlier in the day when I was getting the oil changed, a neighbor called Hubs to see if the two older boys wanted to earn $10.00 an hour (!) helping at a Christmas tree lot.  The Hubs is very big on the boys finding jobs to earn their spending money so he roused them at 9:00 a.m. and they grumbled at first, but $40 each later they were very happy.  

Tonight at dinner Hubs told the boys how someone needs to go into the plumbing business as he met some plumbers today who made about 12 times what they made in about half the time.  

The movie we watched tonight was Winter's Bone, taking place in the Ozark Mountains--what a rough life--it certainly puts the plumbing bill inter perspective.

And now late at night, Hubs just told me his old, favorite movie is on...Body Heat with William Hurt and Kathleen Turner.  He is watching some of it and dvr'ing it.  It reminds me of how long we've been together and reminds me why we collect wind chimes and hang them on our porch.  Maybe we'll get a loveseat next month.....