Water Heater Woes

      Wow, I totally spaced yesterday. I’m glad I remembered. Just in time. Now I kind of feel like I’m having to cram this in. (Insert juvenile joke here.) Then I realize that I only feel that way because I’m hoping to get this done before the news starts. The News!? I would tell people that I don’t want to live my life around a TV schedule. But then, at times like these, I realize sometimes I do. And I’m glad to be made aware of it, I’m glad to be able to remind myself that: I don’t want to be concerned about the TV schedule. I would tell people that I want to be doing my own stuff. And then I try to hurry through “my stuff” to see if anything bad has happened!? Pathetic. Oh well, I recognize, and decide, this is what I’d rather be doing. I am not in a hurry. I do not have to cram. Relax. It’s also strange because I had a lot of time yesterday. A lot! But I was a little distracted. And I guess, since we have some time, I’ll tell you the whole story: I used a company called Same Day Heating and Air Conditioning a year or so ago when my heater wasn’t working. They seemed nice, magically when they showed up, the heater started working, and they didn’t need to do anything. They inspected it, couldn’t find anything wrong, and asked me if I wanted to sign up for a maintenance program. The program was just a little more expensive than the visit, which would be included if I signed up. So, I did. They came out a couple of times, and made sure everything was working properly and that was that. Now they are including plumbing. I got a notification that they were doing water heater flushes for only $39, an exclusive offer for prior customers. I don’t know anything about my water heater. I knew where it was, but that was about it. So, we decided it would be a good idea, because we’ve been here for 4 years.

     Whoa, I just realized today is exactly 4 years! Anyway: We weren’t having any issues, this was supposed to be preventative. They came out last Wednesday. The 15^th. They mentioned it was old, they thought it was about 10 years past its prime, and recommended I replace it within the next year. Noted. Life went on. We had a good time at our friend’s birthday party. There were a lot of people there. I got a little drunk, and made a lot of people laugh. We Ubered home. Saturday was a little rough. The Calvins had a show on Sunday that absolutely kicked ass. That was the best we ever sounded on stage. The Holding Company is awesome! Lots of cool people, lots of good bands, it was fun! We got home safely, but continued to celebrate. When I woke up Monday, the rug in our bathroom was soaking wet. I thought maybe my wife accidentally forgot to take the rug out of the shower before showering. (It has happened before.) So I cleaned it up, and was a little disappointed. Then on Tuesday, I was using the facilities, and when I stood up, my shorts were wet. I was confused. I saw water between the tiles. I thought: “What the fuck?” “She must have really soaked the floor.” Then, Wednesday morning, it happened again! My wife said, “Maybe it’s the water heater.” I went to check, and sure enough, flooded! I went into panic mode. There was an inch of water just setting there, becoming more than an inch. Leaking into my bathroom, and our washroom closet. It felt like sabotage! We were having no problems, then they came to do some “maintenance” and the thing breaks!? Give me a break! I could see where it was leaking. And, after a little while, realized they wouldn’t have broken it on purpose. So, I called them to come back out. And just like their name says, they came out the same day. And, wouldn’t you know it, “within the next year,” meant tomorrow.

     They originally told me they’d be here early. I asked what that meant, and he said around 10 or 11. That’s my kind of early. They didn’t show up until almost 2! And that was after they called me around 12:30 to let me know they were about a half an hour away. I had to cancel band practice, and we have a gig tonight! I guess we’ll be okay, since we played on Sunday, but that’s not the point. I was waiting for them for a long time. Having to go out and get rid of the water every hour or so. I wasn’t sure if turning off the water would be okay. Now it seems silly, but I wasn’t sure with the heater, and how it works, if turning off the water would be “bad.” Eventually, I was like “fuck it,” I don’t want to have to keep cleaning it up, and they’ll be here soon, right? It stopped immediately. I should have done that days ago! Oh well, life’s about learning. So, I got to work on the song I’m mixing while I was waiting. They said they’d call before arriving, so I would know to start listening for them. They eventually showed up. And it is now fixed and working properly. We’re still kind of nervous about the possible water damage, but we’re trying to air it out the best we can. They tried to suggest going through our insurance company, but these days, it doesn’t seem to be the time to mess with your insurance. So, we’re risking it, and are hoping for the best. I’m in constant monitor mode. But, to my point: While they were here, I felt I should keep my ears open in case they needed me for anything. I didn’t want to be wrapped up in my mix with the headphones on while people were at my home working. So, I sat here bored. I had plenty of time to get this done, I just didn’t think of it.