Let There Be Water!

Actually, I was amazed that I could call the city in the morning and by the afternoon they had a technician out to the house to install the missing water meter. And, the experience was quite informative and interesting. The technician and his cohort were there before me and instead of driving off, called me to see if I was near. Then once meeting them they gave me a run-down on the previous owner of the house, my neighbor who had been considering rehabbing this house and the little old lady in the yellow house across the street. :) Ya just gotta love that Midwestern helpfulness (so much for gossip)!

Not only did I get a good people perspective, but he gave me instructions on how to de-winterize the house on my own, to turn on the water slowly and let the pipes fill up gently. Also, because I have a tuck-under garage I shouldn't leave the garage doors open for any length of time in the winter because I could freeze the pipes, and I should use pipe-wrap in the garage area which keeps the pipes slightly heated in winter to eliminate any freezing problems. The city has a camera to check the sewer line for $50.00 instead of the $200.00 someone else would charge (if I ever need it). In addition to all that he also gave me a couple of leads on great plumbers that don't charge top dollar. You can get alot of information out of people if you're the least bit inquisitive.

"Live and let live is not enough; live and help live is not too much." ~Orison Swett Marden~

It was a fruitful afternoon! The rest of it was spent shoveling the driveway as we had a good six inches of snow. I did it the good old fashioned way and really felt I accomplished something by bracing for the cold wind and getting some exercise. There is something to be said for how these seemingly mundane things actually build the spirit and make you feel good about yourself and your body when you're finished.

"Man is happy only as he finds a work worth doing - and does it well." ~ E. Merrill Root ~

I guess I'll sleep well tonight!