The continuing saga of water...

The story, as they say, goes on. I am still without a kitchen...and without water in said kitchen! We are still eating either take out food or nuking frozen dinners in the displaced microwave oven. Don't get me wrong...I'm very grateful for microwaves, for frozen and take out dinners, for paper plates and plastic utensils, and that I still have water in the bathrooms. But I'm getting just a tad bit tired of NO kitchen!

The insurance people have been very nice about paying for all the demolition and repair. So that is not the problem. The ServiceMaster people were right here on the spot to do the demolition of the ruined floors and cabinets. They were fast, efficient and neat. And they hauled out all the trash. Thanks to Kevin and Dakota who made life just a bit more pleasant over the several days you were here!

My drywall guy came to give me an estimate...right on time. Then I didn't see him for three days. Seems as if he was sick. But no phone call, no nuttin'. Today he came and now I have a wall with insulation and the cabinets are set into place. Wahoo! It is now beginning to look more like a kitchen.

I got a smokin' deal on the cabinets to replace the ruined ones at Allison's...just up the road. Del is great. If you are in my neck of the woods, make sure you stop by for flooring or cabinets. He'll do right for you. We were able to match the color and style of the existing cabinets almost exactly. Luck beats skill any day. Yes, the insurance company will pay to replace these cabinets, but I figure that a penny saved....

And as long as everything is apart anyway, why not get that new farmhouse sink I've been wanting for so long? So tomorrow I'll go pick up my brand new Silestone sink in espresso color and a new "pot filler" faucet in brushed nickel. I'm paying for those, of course...and I can't wait to see them in place! I'm so hoping that by this time tomorrow, I'll have water and a sink and dishwasher back again and we can stop eating frozen nuke food....and can say goodby to fast food drive up windows. (Note: we live in a tiny town and there really aren't any "real" restaurants here....only fast food. So it is really no luxury to be going out to eat!)

Here is a photo of what I've been dealing with for the last month:



Kitchen??



We have water!

After all my angst and tears, after all the agony....I have water! And I didn't have to hunt the plumber down after all!

Friday afternoon, I got a call back....from Mike's 24-hour Plumbing. Seems as if he thought he could be at my house on Saturday morning. YES! (Don't get too excited...three others have made you promises....) But come to the house he did...(picture haloes around his head and rose petals showering around his shoulders). Within an hour, I had water! I also had a hole in the wall under the sink, but what the heck? I don't care if I have a hole in the side of the house! I have water!! AND he didn't charge a young fortune, either...not even time and a half....just regular time. I could kiss him. So, while I didn't do that...I will recommend him. If you are in my neck of the woods...remember his name: Mike's 24-Hour Plumbing. He's in the book.

My kingdom for a plumber!

Anyone out there know where I can get a plumber? Today? Now?

We have been without water since Tuesday when the pipes froze in our unseasonably cold Oklahoma winter temperatures. The mercury plunged (as the weathermen are so fond of saying) to the subzero mark on Tuesday night and into the early morning hours of Wednesday morning. Our pipes have never frozen before.... in 15 years of living here. Till now. And it was only (only!!) in the kitchen. So I could haul water from the tub to the kitchen to cook and wash with. Then, day before yesterday, we thawed and the pipe in the kitchen burst. Water, water, everywhere....in my living room, kitchen, cabinets, spurting out the back of the house.....everywhere! So I called my neighbor for help....God doesn't make any finer people than my best friends. They came over with brooms and tools and stayed to help with the clean up. Fortunately, Ben was able to pry the shut-off valve loose and we got the main shut off. So now I have NO water. And Linda and I got MOST of the water out of the kitchen and living room. But my wood floor in the kitchen is ruined. The returns aren't yet in on the living room carpet. It is still too wet to tell.

Now begins the saga of the plumber hunt. Yes, we are rural. But our phone book lists no fewer than 21 plumbers in the immediate area; several of these say they provide 24-hour service. Yeah, right. I have spoken to all 21 of these. Repeatedly. I have begged, pleaded, cried, bribed, and everything else I could think of. All to avail. I am into my 5th day without water, I have a string of "I'll call you's" with no follow-ups, and my frustration level has hit the ceiling. If I don't see a plumber today, I believe I'm going hunting! Anyone who even remotely resembles a plumber on the streets today had better be darn careful....because I'm out for bear! If you look or sound like a plumber, I'm gonna grab you by the hair and haul you back to my house and MAKE you fix my pipe so I can have water again!