Plumbing the depths of different cultures... part 1



I am the recipient of a most bizarre combination of fortune and misfortune.
Please allow me to demonstrate:

Exhibit A
Misfortune: About 9 months ago, the protective duct hose that envelopes my hot water supply hose (located in the laundry room of my 4-year-old apartment) filled with water, and began gently leaking water from the top, running out of the water cupboard and onto the floor.
Fortune: Coincidentally, this happened on a day I had taken off from work. The leak was discovered while I was searching for a lost sock. Had I not taken the day off work, I would have come home to a gently flooded apartment. Had I not had occasion to look for the lost sock, even though I was home, I would have discovered the leak only after it had first flooded my laundry room, and then the surrounding area. (In other good news, I found the lost sock.)

Exhibit B
Misfortune: A few weeks ago, the metal water hose under my bathroom sink got corroded to the point that water was violently spraying out of it (even though the faucet was turned off), giving my bathroom a good, all-round soak.
Fortune: Coincidentally, this, too, occurred while I was home. I heard the noise... and eventually went to check it out... and shut the valve under the sink. Had I not been home when the spraying began, I would have returned home to a completely flooded apartment, and my downstairs neighbor would have been none too happy with me.

Exhibit C
Misfortune: Coincidentally, at the Very Same Time as Exhibit B was occurring, the Very Same Duct Hose from Exhibit A began slowly filling with water, again.
Fortune: The corroded violently-spraying hose from Exhibit B caused me paranoia to a degree that - even though I had already shut the valve under the sink - I went to shut off the hot water valve from the water cupboard... and it was while doing so that I discovered the return of the problem from Exhibit A.


My water cupboard. This is what pipes look like in Israel. Beautiful, aren't they?


The hose from Exhibit B was easily replaced by my father. However, the recurring problem from Exhibits A and C, respectively, required the aid of a licensed plumber. As I had done 9 months prior, I called my insurance company and requested that they send me a plumber (specifying, "not the same plumber as before".

So we set a time and a day, and after waiting the entire morning for him, the plumber arrived late, of course). He came, he saw, he made plans to come again.


TO BE CONTINUED...


Did you think I was finished? I certainly did! I was set to publish this, but then Exhibit D transpired...

Exhibit D
Misfortune: I awoke yesterday morning to a very slight, very slow dripping from my water heater. As innocuous as a slight drip might appear to be, the water heater needed to be replaced before exploding.
Fortune: I noticed this dripping immediately. I had the opportunity to stay home from work while the  man came to install the heater, and since it was through my contractor friend, he gave me a very good rate. (I will confess: having observed the way this "luxury" apartment was built, and the quality of the materials used, I've been looking forward to the day it would be time to change the water heater. I'll sleep much better now, knowing my water heater isn't going to randomly burst.)

* All joking of misfortunes aside, I want to give credit to the One who's always looking out for me.


TO BE CONTINUED... REALLY





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