Tuesday, October 13, 2009

How to Save Money and the Environment

a.k.a. An Alternate Workout

a.k.a. A Superfun Game for the Kids

Our bathtub faucet is broken. Not just a dripdripdrip kind of broken but a constant ttttrrriiiiccckkkklllleeee kind of broken. It's something to do with O-Rings and needing to replace the entire faucet, not just a matter of tightening a few bolts and moving on with our lives.

I found the faucet I want and it needs to be special ordered. boo. For now, the soundtrack of my days is tttttrrrrriiiiiccccckkkkkklllllleeeeee. It's very annoying. One day, Bob turned off the water leading to the bathroom and I spent my day in blessed silence as I consumed bon-bons and watched my stories.

I didn't get to take a shower that day.

I had a really sweaty disgusting workout that morning.

I woke up the next morning with three new pimples.

Today I went down and tried to turn off the water myself. It was confusing and tiresome and a failed attempt. I am beyond irritated. With every ttttrrriiiicccckkkkllllleeee that goes down the drain, I hear dollardollardollar going down the drain, along with my sanitysanitysanity.

As I gathered laundry from various people's bedrooms, a solution dawned on me.

Do you see where this is going?

Conserve water! I didn't drain the tub after I bathed George. I filled my giant stockpot with water from the tub and lugged it downstairs. When I opened the washer, I was greeted with the pleasant aroma of towels that had been sitting in the washing machine since, I think, Saturday.

Thank you, mysterious laundry fairy. Thank you.

I dumped the big pot of water into the washbasin (that's what I call it now, because I am a frontier woman. Fetching water.) I did this three times before I realized that the washbasin was not getting any fuller of water. More full? I don't know. It wasn't filling. Dangit. Giant pots of water are heavy. And awkward.

I'm a frontier woman, I don't know how to work these newfangled contraptions. I fiddled with the settings on the machine.

Several trips up and down the stairs later, the washing machine is running and the faucet is dripping into a still stoppered tub. I still have a lot of laundry to get through today.

When His Majesty returns to Our Castle, I will implore him to teach me about the mysteries of water valves and the shutting of them off.

9 comments:

Christie said...

Why am I laughing when I picture this whole scenario? You are a funny one, friend. FUH-NNNNY.

Liz said...

Believe me, I'm laughing right along with you!

Sara said...

If you had a manifold that would be oh so easy:)

sarita said...

I just had flashbacks of my sister missionary days in the Dominican Republic. We fetched water all the time. And bathed from buckets. Good times.

Liz said...

Sarita: I felt like I was back in the Philippines! Good times is right.

Sara: How I wish we had a manifold. Could it be a weekend project for the husbands when you visit? I kid.

mae said...

Way to make lemonade. And get a good workout.

That's awesome that you have a laundry fairy. Hopefully she's better then mine because mine's a lazy slacker.

Sissy Jackson said...

Go frontier woman. You need Timothy!

Pamela said...

You go Pioneer girl!

Sissy Jackson said...

Hell yes for Thanksgiving! Where are you?