Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Wishing for Water in the Well

I probably shouldn't read my horoscope at all, but definitely not in the morning. Today it said that the planets would cause a disjunct day and due to unexpected occurrences I would not get my work done. My work is writing. I have been writing most of the day, but the average is two paragraphs or half a page of notes before I get distracted and stray off on to another unrelated topic and start writing something else. That is often how my day goes. I am getting used to that.


But then there was this: we had a water overflow problem this weekend and a plumber fixed that yesterday. Today we ran completely out of water. Japay, the water company, sent two guys out at 4pm. They asked if it was maybe the 'flotador' (bobber) in the 'tinaco' (water storage tank) and I said "No, that was repaired just yesterday and the plumber noticed the low pressure."


So one guy walked across the street,assessed the situation, and said, "Well, we are going to have to dig up the street and change the tubería (pipes) as there is probably a leak." Probably? Wouldn't they want to check the actual tinaco and house piping, at least take a little peak, before tearing up the street on a whim? Then they asked if I would be home in an hour so they could return with the equipment they need. I was thinking: Oh great! Jackhammers at the end of the day should please the neighborhood. Well they came back in fifteen minutes with an axe, a mallot and some pipes and tubes. Guy #1 had the street ripped open in a few hacks of the axe and sure as hell, water was geysering up into the sky. I snuck a few photos. When I went back out a few minutes ago, Guy #2 showed me the rotten pipes. They look like they may be from the Mayan Pre-Classic era. New pipes are being installed as I write this.
Look at the monster I created!
The remnants of pipes sitting next to the mallot below are the ancient tubes that were discovered here today.
So they are finished and gone. The water pipes from house to across the street fresh and new. The problem is we still don't feel the water pressure going up the other tubes and into the tinaco. I am going to have to just have faith, hope and keep my fingers crossed on this amazingly rapid and extensive road/water pipe repair and hope that due to the time of day, lack of rain, and high heat, perhaps water pressure is low everywhere right now and with some patience we will back on track in the morning. If not there may be another chapter to add.
If my neighbors are reading this, the guys said tomorrow someone will be by to patch the asphalt on the street and my sidewalk. I am not placing bets on the mañana plan, but I am hopeful.
To top off my day without purpose, I was expecting to spend the afternoon writing and reading, and three students who had abandonned swim class a month or more ago called and wanted to return to classes. Today. The weather held out and perhaps they all just felt like a swim in the 'hood and needed Pablo's great exercises and obstacle courses.
La vida te da sorpresas, sorpresas te da la vida. Wish me luck. Use water sparingly.

1 comment:

Linda Dorton said...

Once misspelled is a mistake. Twice or repeated misspellings mean the writer honestly believes that is how you spell a word. I am wondering if I was just stuck on shallots or what, mallot mallot.....MALLET. Finally!