Feb 12, 2017

Plumbing Woes

On Friday, laster-week (2/3), I decided to get really crazy and take down my Christmas decoration! (Yes, I know, let's not be hasty!) As part of that job I decided to mop the floors since much of the furniture was already moved to facilitate that task.  I used up the last of the mopping product I use and decided I would look NOW to see if I remembered correctly- was there more under the sink?

It was providential that I made that inspection. Our kitchen sink is situated in the corner of the room on a 45 degree angle to the walls; thus making a very deep cabinet. I took out the trash can (it has to live there to keep one naughty dog out of it). I looked at the nice red gingham-checked shelf liner that I installed when I replaced the faucet a few years ago and SOMETHING just didn't look right! As I stood there trying to puzzle it out it finally dawned on me that the shelf had warped down! OMSH! There must be a leak!

Out came all of the bottles, baskets and cans that live under there. Yes, it was quite wet. I peeled up the shelf liner... YIKES it is very wet!! I finally located the source of the problem! This dirty bounder was leaking at BOTH the on/off valve and the compression valve! The on/off valve had a pin-hole leak that was spraying against the side of the cupboard and then seeping down under the shelf liner, plus down the hole into the dungeon!

I'm not sure why this valve was even in the line as, fortunately, there was a saddle valve on the cold water source pipe and I could turn off the water there.


Now that I'd temporarily stemmed the flood I went to the dungeon to see how wet it was down there!

Not good, but not horrible! The leak couldn't have been going too long or the whole place would have been a mess.

Unfortunately there were several things that were wet! A jute rug was lying flat on the floor and, although wrapped in plastic, soaked up a good portion of the water, also a 26 yard roll of upholstery fabric, chair cushions, a couple of sweat shirts that were practically dripping and then several other items that were wrapped in such a way that, although wet on the outside of the plastic, were not wet inside.

Gordon helped me lug all of this up the stairs and into the garage. I'd deal with the drying out part later, when it stopped raining.


 The most damaged items were two of these antique rubbings from the Cambodian Temple, Angkor Wat. Gordon's mom bought them when they lived there and had them framed before coming back to the States.


Wouldn't you know it? That which is the most irreplaceable!


This one had water damage on the back but it hadn't seeped through to the actual rubbing yet. These went into the family room to dry.


Next day I  spread out the rug and upholstery yardage in the garage and, after 4 days of rain, nothing was drying out! We had a sunny day on Wednesday (2/8) so as soon as we got home from the Temple Gordon helped me move the rug onto the deck and we spread out the fabric on the grass. There were big wet spots in the garage where these had been.

About 7 pm I *folded* up the fabric and schlepped it inside so it didn't get wet from the dew. I left the rug as it was still wet.


They were predicting rain so Thursday night I rolled up the rug and dragged it into the dining room. 


As soon as I got back from my daily walk Friday morning I took the fabric back out to the deck so I started rolling it back onto the slightly bent cardboard center roll. Since I'd folded it up by dragging the ends together, again and again, I was able to unfold and roll. It took me a full 20 minutes!


But I was successful. Louisa May Alcott did her best, along with Marme, Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy, to help me complete the task. (I love to be read to! Thank you Audible.)


I trussed up the two rolls like so many piggies and dragged them back down in the dungeon. I'll use the jute rug on the deck this summer, it is too smelly for indoor use. I still don't know what I'm going to do with the fabric that I've hauled around for the 15 years! Maybe Deseret Industries or Habitat for Humanity?

Amid all the damp drama I also had to replace the float mechanism in my not-even-five-year-old-toilet. I'm a little tired of DIY this week.

**So I started this post in good humor but about an hour ago I heard that a huge area south of Lake Oroville is under a mandatory evacuation order as it looks like the emergency spillway is going to fail. I'm just sick! It makes my little problem come into very sharp focus. They are in my prayers.

Feb 10, 2017

Lions, [No] Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

Yesterday, for the first time in decades, Grammie went to the Zoo! Sweet Stephanie suggested that we take the little people to the zoo. What a fabulous idea! (My boys did an awesome job of choosing me daughters!)


The last time I visited Hogle Zoo was when I was a teenager! MY littles and I used to go frequently to the LA Zoo when they were children.

Our first stop was the giraffe exhibit! The middle-size giraffe was licking (yes, LICKING) the building. If you are able to zoom in you can see her dark blue tongue.

Just the size differences made me wonder if this was a little family. Plus, I've never seen such a light-colored giraffe as the licker!


I asked Steph to take a photo of me and she commented... how did you do this with your own three little ones. Well, I didn't go very many places when they were this young!


Our next stop was this huge stylized elephant statue. At first Liam wanted nothing to do with this behemoth. He is very leery of animals and stomping elephants in particular! Aren't these the most beautiful girls?


By the time we visited the statue later he was brave enough to get out and see it up close. I think it helped that when he saw the real elephants they weren't stomping at all, but napping! One was even lying down!


Our next stop was the lions! Yeah for lions! It was fun to see that there were several adult females, an adult male (or two?) and two juveniles, one of each sex. The little male was just starting to grow his ruff! So cute.

Camille's school just did a production of Lion King Jr (and they were the sound managers) so we discussed which lion was which character! This very agreeable fellow was lying right on the other side of this glass. The big muddy paw smear on his side of the glass was not lost on this Grammie!


 Miss Emmy also got a close view of this big boy!


Fiona enjoyed the animal statues almost as much as the actual animals.


THIS PHOTO!  There's a little deja vu here! (Seal watching.)


It is so evocative of one taken of MY littles almost 28 years ago... Spencer, Camille and Stuart at Disneyland August 1989.


The otter exhibit was next, but not an otter to be found. They did, however, find a dandy log to climb on and play peek-a-boo through knot holes. These sweet cousins, who are 19 weeks apart, often look like cousin-twins!


But this is the animal that Fiona most wanted to see! The paw-ler bear! This dandy girl put on quite a show just for *her* Fiona! She'd push off backwards and float for about 15 feet then...


flip over and swim back in the other direction on her stomach.


Back and forth, back and forth. I took a video of it and the kids eagerly followed her progress.


She finally got out, shook off and then relieved herself. "That paw-ler bear is going potty!" Fiona announced. (Which is also why we knew this bear was a girl.) We thought it very proper of her NOT to make peeps in the swimming pool!

Auntie Nie-Nie treated us to garlic knots at the zoo Beastro and a carousel ride, sans Liam and Grammie. Those animals are just too scary!

We had a lovely afternoon. And, not surprisingly all three babies were asleep within 5 minutes of getting into the cars to drive home.