This evening my wife asked if we had any Jack Daniels. Not to drink mind you, but for some science experiment. Ya…I have no idea what science experiment calls for Jack Daniels. Anyway, I didn’t think we did, but I thought I’d check.
I opened the alcohol cabinet and said to myself “oh ya…this is a mess”. A few weeks ago I was looking for something in there and learned something. You apparently cannot keep Coco Loco for 14 years. Nope! It apparently eats through the aluminum can it comes in. Huge mess of Coco Loco had, at some point in the past, escaped its can and spread all over.
The kids were running around like Scottish highlanders hell bent on gaining freedom from England, so naturally this seemed like a great time to tackle cleaning out the cabinet!
I think this was the moment that cemented my fate for the evening. The one key decision point at which, had I chosen differently, everything would have been different….better. I’m increasingly convinced the universe works this way.
As I am cleaning, Traci is performing science experiments with Grey in the kitchen with balloons, water and candles.
In the midst of my cleaning, Traci goes into the bathroom and suddenly starts yelling about a new water problem. “The Leak” had grown.
Now I’ve known we have had a small leaky faucet issue in there for a few months. Yes, I’m sure I’m wasting untold gallons one drip at a time. Then again our water bill is still only around $20 month, so I can’t be wasting all that much. But that leak is contained to the sink. This was something else.
I broke myself away from the cleaning to go address the new emergency. Yes there was water behind the pedestal and drips of water coming off the pipes underneath handles. But after drying everything, it all looked good. Then Traci said it could be just spillage and a bad seal. She had been filling up a balloon with water (back to that science experiment we didn’t have Jack Daniels for) when it overflowed around the faucet. She duplicated the spillage and sure enough water ran down. Okay, just needs some caulk someday. Not urgent right now. Back to cleaning.
As I am leaving the bathroom I hear Traci scream “Declan! NOOOOO! OH GOD!!!”
Okay, at this point the note of worry in her voice convinces me we are now going to be calling 911. In fact the only thing I can imagine that warrants that particular note in her voice has to do with the fact that all the booze is still sitting out on the floor. I can only assume that she has found Declan throwing back a 5th of Absolute!
I rush up behind her only to see Declan grinning and standing next to ottoman. My newly purchased salt and pepper shakers are also on the ottoman. And the salt is apparently now empty. It’s all over the ottoman. At least it’s black leather and the salt shows up quite nicely.
Traci goes to get the vacuum and I go back to cleaning up the alcohol cabinet.
Finally I get all the cabinet cleaned up and the alcohol put away. I decided that it was probably time to throw out the 14 year old margarita mix and yellow tonic water and some other crazy stuff.
I go to get a trash back from under the kitchen sink and notice it’s wet. I do a double take, look closer and realize EVERRYTHING is wet. Everything is sitting in water!! Under the sink.
Sigh…
I start pulling things out and drying them off while looking for the source of water. I see a drip now and then from under the garbage disposal. Once I get everything out and dry, I run the water and sure enough, there must be a crack in the disposal. Water comes streaming out of the bottom of it.
Well, I guess now I know what I’m doing Tuesday!
While this was the end of the major events tonight it was not the end of the adventure. Grey got a bloody nose, dripped blood all over the floor. While Traci cleaned that up, she knocked over the box of Kleenex and of course our paper obsessed dog rushed in like an Oceans 11 ninja and tried to stealthily make off with the whole box while no one was looking. And lastly, after the kids were down I tried to relax with a cup of coffee (decaf this late) and had to do battle with the Cuisinart Keurig machine. Nothing a can of compressed air and dogged determination can’t fix!!
Now I’m researching garbage disposals… stainless steel, 1hp, super quiet. Booya! Fun times tomorrow!