Newest drama: Basement flooded.

We had just finished a very strenuous day, setting up dog sitters for Monday and Tuesday, and shopping for the out-of-town scenario, coming home, cleaning the fridge, putting away groceries, so tired, and suddenly i hear a strange sound in the basement.

Water.

Shooting out of a mysteriously disconnected pipe behind the dryer.

Ay yi yi.

It was pouring out gallons by the minutes, not just trickling, but shooting like a hose on full throttle.

Half the basement was under water.

I thought I was dreaming. I became, uh, let's say, not that much in control of my emotions right away. We called ten plumbers and none answered their phones. So we tried 911, then the fire dept, then a city worker showed up at our house. I practically venerated him, I was so grateful. We got the house water turned off, and after several more calls, found an angelic being of a plumber who is coming out tonight!

Then we had to get carpet cleaners to come out tomorrow to prevent mold.

I was so upset. I was sobbing into the phone talking to the people, not endearing myself in the least, I'm sure. The city worker tried to soothe me, saying, "It's just water! It's JUST water!" Still I couldn't stop weeping and apologizing for weeping.

And all the while I'm on the phone, the bitterly cold water is SHOOTING into the basement, filling it higher and higher, and it's ICE water, so your feet freeze fast, and it shoots all over you and you are drenched in ice cold water. [And sobbing. With quite a bit of vocal wailing thrown into the mix.]

Finally, once the main switch got turned off, we got out the shop vac and sucked up a lot of it, and laid newspapers, paper towels, and bath towels all over half the basement.

All I can think is THANK GOD this didn't happen while we were at Duke! I can't imagine how that would have played out.

My stress hormones are currently in a state of vast overpopulation, and I'm trying to regain my equilibrium. Bill stayed calm throughout, but he didn't know any more than I did about what to do. But he DID know how to get the shop vac out and at least reduce the Ganges river that was flowing through the various rooms down there.

So that's today's news report and dose of drama.

I hope I wake up at 6 a.m. and find out it was all some Freudian dream.

Love to all.