WATER HEATERS, GOOD FOOD & THE FRENCH OPEN

PART 1

I was excited this past Friday night as I was looking forward to spending my first day at my pool this year. Knowing that I had to meet with my trainer at the gym Saturday morning, I thought I would shave my legs, etc. and be ALL ready to go to the pool shortly after returning home from the gym the next morning.

I turned on the water only to find that it was ice cold. I knew this day would eventually come, but I was not happy about the timing. So at 11:00 pm I got out my 3 largest pots and began heating up water on my stove. Then I would take turns running the pots of water back to my bathtub that I had put a small amount of cold water in. With each run, I would hold my breath hoping that I would not spill the scalding hot water on me. Just call me Laura Ingalls. After bathing "Little House on the Prairie" style I hated pulling the plug. All that time and hard work going right down the drain.

First thing Saturday morning I called around...Home Depot could install a new water heater that day. They got all my info and said the installer would call me to set up the appointment. I gave them my cell phone number and headed over to the pool. I kept waiting to get into the pool, knowing that the minute I got in the pool, my cell phone would ring and I would have to hurry and jump out hoping to get to my phone in time.

I started getting nervous and kind of annoyed when I hadn't yet heard from anyone by 1:00....."were they still going to be able to do it today??" I ran home where I had the info and called to check. Long story, short....some how they didn't get my order in and they wouldn't be able to do the install until Monday. Nice that they called to let me know this, right? Arrrghhhh! At least then I was able to fully enjoy the lovely day with my book.

PART 2

I was supposed to meet with 2 of the sisters that shared my room in the MTC (the other girl lives in CA, but joins us whenever she is in Utah.) The 3 of us try to get together a couple of times a year as our schedules allow.

Because I had been out at the pool, I was all greasy with sunscreen (not to mention the chlorine), so a shower was very necessary before going out into public, so on went the pots and the boiling began again.

I met them downtown at TUCANO's in the Gateway. It is a Brazilian Churrascaria. The ambiance is fun and even though it is pretty pricey and I always leave feeling so full it hurts....it is always a good time. The meats are very tasty, but my favorites are the grilled pineapple (abacaxi) and the cheese breads (pao de queijo). YUM!

AND NOW FOR THE REST OF THE STORY.......

I will try to finish this up as quick and as painless as possible.

Sunday & Monday mornings I woke up 1 hour earlier than usual to bathe "Little House on the Prairie" style again. I got a call Monday morning saying that between 9-1 someone could come to install my water heater. They were going to call me when they were on their way. I had given all the info to the girl on Saturday and then it was confirmed again Monday morning.

So, I meet Jay at my house and as he goes to check out the space, etc. he says, "Oh, it is electric?" HELLO! I had only told 12 people it was electric, I had to tell them what kind of breaker it was connected to in my breaker box, etc. Apparently, he didn't check his info so well and just assumed it was gas, but we all know what happens when we "assume" things.

He tells me that he will just run over to Home Depot (less than 2 miles from my house) and grab one. I am just hanging out on my couch watching the French Open (Since it is in France, I am usually never home when the matches are actually televised). After he has been gone for almost an hour, he calls to tell me he had to go to 3 different stores before he found a 40 gal/electric water heater. At the first store, wouldn't you think he could have had them look up what stores had one???

Although I am thoroughly enjoying the French Open coverage I am thinking about the vacation time that I am going to have to use because of their stupidity. It is probably the busiest day of the month for me to be out of the office. I left work having only completed half of the employees payroll checks, and I should have been working on getting invoices out after that, but instead I am just sitting at home while Jay drives all over the Salt Lake Valley to pick up what he should have already had with him upon arrival 1 1/2 hours ago.

Once he got back, things went relatively quickly, but by the time I got back to the office I had been gone for 4 hours! What a way to kill a day.

I can't believe how much simpler life is when you can just turn the knob and hot water comes out. I just want to kiss whoever invented the hot water heater and indoor plumbing. I hope that the next time you turn on your hot water you realize how fabulous that is.