It Drains But It Pours...
"Daddy, wake up!"
I had been enjoying my nap... Amy's nap, really, but the first respite from parenting a toddler.
"Daddy, wake up! Der's WATER!"
That gets my attention. I spring off the couch into the standing position and bolt to the bathroom, where I find the toilet belching water about once a second or so. It's spreading into the carpet outside the bathroom. In the year and a half that I have lived here, I've never clogged my toilet. And believe me, I tried once or twice, under controlled conditions, just so I would know what the limit on TP was. What the heck had she flushed???
I grab the float in the toilet, to stop the flow of water, then start thinking about what to do next... I've stopped the flooding from getting worse, but I've got to get rid of the water. I run for the plunger, and the broom.
"Dry my clothes off!"
"I'm hungry!"
"I wan' CANDY!"
"This is... NOT... THE TIME!!!" (I had a few more choice words for her at the moment, but she still didn't get the message to leave Daddy alone)
"GO SIT IN THE LIVING ROOM!"
I plunge the toilet out, and get the flow stopped. Then I start furiously sweeping the water under the water heater closet's door, where it'll go down a drain and get out of my house. She's still making demands. Candy again?!? I feel the pressure in my head rising to the boiling point.
I walk out there, wash my hands, get her a plate of rice, a drink, put a movie on, and then ask her in a I'm really trying not to mangle you right now tone to sit there and let Daddy do his work.
"CANDY!"
"NOOOOOOOO!!!"
She broke into tears, and I had to pick her up and snuggle her.
"I'm sorry Amy. This is not the time. No candy. Don't ask me again."
"Candy?"
"No."
. . .
Things have calmed down a bit. I've taken care of what I can. I placed fans to begin drying the carpet and other things. I opened windows, facing one fan out the bathroom window to keep the flow of air going, and turned off the AC.
Work called. They don't have a nurse on the Long Term side of the building tonight. Several dozen patients need a nurse. Kris just came to pick up Amethyst, a day early. I need to get things taken care of here, and the opportunity to go into work gives me a chance to get away from the mess too... I've got to let the fans do their work. I could probably use the money, too. And besides, after my review, I'm still waiting for my raise to go through.
Frosting on the cake... I had tickets to a play tonight.
You've just gotta laugh at the confluence of absurdity and frustration. I am. ;-)
I had been enjoying my nap... Amy's nap, really, but the first respite from parenting a toddler.
"Daddy, wake up! Der's WATER!"
That gets my attention. I spring off the couch into the standing position and bolt to the bathroom, where I find the toilet belching water about once a second or so. It's spreading into the carpet outside the bathroom. In the year and a half that I have lived here, I've never clogged my toilet. And believe me, I tried once or twice, under controlled conditions, just so I would know what the limit on TP was. What the heck had she flushed???
I grab the float in the toilet, to stop the flow of water, then start thinking about what to do next... I've stopped the flooding from getting worse, but I've got to get rid of the water. I run for the plunger, and the broom.
"Dry my clothes off!"
"I'm hungry!"
"I wan' CANDY!"
"This is... NOT... THE TIME!!!" (I had a few more choice words for her at the moment, but she still didn't get the message to leave Daddy alone)
"GO SIT IN THE LIVING ROOM!"
I plunge the toilet out, and get the flow stopped. Then I start furiously sweeping the water under the water heater closet's door, where it'll go down a drain and get out of my house. She's still making demands. Candy again?!? I feel the pressure in my head rising to the boiling point.
I walk out there, wash my hands, get her a plate of rice, a drink, put a movie on, and then ask her in a I'm really trying not to mangle you right now tone to sit there and let Daddy do his work.
"CANDY!"
"NOOOOOOOO!!!"
She broke into tears, and I had to pick her up and snuggle her.
"I'm sorry Amy. This is not the time. No candy. Don't ask me again."
"Candy?"
"No."
. . .
Things have calmed down a bit. I've taken care of what I can. I placed fans to begin drying the carpet and other things. I opened windows, facing one fan out the bathroom window to keep the flow of air going, and turned off the AC.
Work called. They don't have a nurse on the Long Term side of the building tonight. Several dozen patients need a nurse. Kris just came to pick up Amethyst, a day early. I need to get things taken care of here, and the opportunity to go into work gives me a chance to get away from the mess too... I've got to let the fans do their work. I could probably use the money, too. And besides, after my review, I'm still waiting for my raise to go through.
Frosting on the cake... I had tickets to a play tonight.
You've just gotta laugh at the confluence of absurdity and frustration. I am. ;-)