Wet and Miserable

Friday the 21st of September is when this week got wet. Literally. I ate lunch and was doing some homework when the landlord sent 'his guy' over to turn on the heat/make sure it works. This was around 3.20ish (I remember because it was after my apple time which is at 3). I heard him up in the attic doing something then came in here (we are on the second floor, no one is in the attic) and turns out he needed  batteries so he asked if we could wait until Monday and I said no problem. 

I was doing something in the kitchen when I hear this noise in the attic but I was pretty sure Ryan ('his guy') left already. I put on some flats and went up to check. Turned out that water was water fountaining out of an air valve or something like that in the ceiling. I quickly called the landlord to see if Ryan could come back but no answer. Oh crap I think. I call dad (my superhero) and thankfully he answered while I was seeing if one of the guys below us could help (no one home. I was home alone, that sucked). Dad had me run down to the basement to instruct me how to turn off the water so no more water could come. I ran back up the stairs to the attic and it was still water fountaining up. I ran back to our apartment and realize that my computer was in the living room, right below the water fountain in the attic as water was already coming down from the ceiling. I unplug it and bring it to Christina's room praying that it would be ok. I go to my room and put on rain boots, it was 'raining' that much and pick up the phone again with dad still on the line and he tells me to go back down stairs. After 7 or 8 pictures sent to him later, I manage to turn our (upstairs) water off. I run back upstairs to see if the water fountaining stopped and it didn't. Back down to the basement I ran and went to the guys' water. After 7 or 8 more pictures sent to him (thankfully we both got smart phone a month or so ago), dad manages to tell me how to turn off their water and I run back up stairs after a quick stop in the apartment to move Kirby (roommate Amanda's guinea pig that was getting scared in his cage, so I grab him and put him in his carrying cage and put him in my room so he'd stay dry). 

The water finally stopped. 

I hang up with dad and call Christina as it was after 4 which is when she works until. She 'claims' that she had to work late and didn't believe how much water actually came down and that it was kind of an emergency. Turns out that she went drinking and eating and dancing on a date. If I was out with Mason or Amanda was out with her boyfriend and your roommate, let alone sister, called telling you this, I'm sure the guy would understand and take you home and maybe even help. I called Amanda who actually was at work and explained the situation. Christina called Mason and he came over to help (thankfully) towel up the water (we don't have a mop) and then -finally- the landlord comes and as soon as he walked in the door, all he could say was 'oh fuck.' 

I threw a towel of the TV to help it from getting any more wet and the rest of the night, needless to say, I was not that happy. Landlord brought over cleaning people and they helped mop up everything. He brought an industrial size fan and was trying to dry everything and we were just praying that my computer (which I shut down to dry off) and the TV were all ok as the other stuff in the living and dining room weren't electronic. After Amanda came home and cleaning people left, we made dinner and had a 'date' actually getting to know each other instead of the 'how was your day' type of thing. We played with Kirby then went to bed at 11 or so with the living room stuff shoved in the dining room and fans blowing everything dry.

Saturday was better. The living room stuff was in the dinning room and everything in those two rooms were still drying. I made oatmeal in the morning and was scarred to turn on my computer in fear of it frying. Mom and dad came over in the afternoon and looked around. I finally turned on my computer and it works (YAY!) and Ryan and landlord were here looking at what was wrong and fixing it so it won't (hopefully, knock on wood) happen again. Parents left, Christina went to get her hair cut, Amanda went to work and I was reading a book for school (although i couldn't do the assigned reading yet because that book was still drying from the water because it was sitting on the coffee table in the living room when the water came). 

Somewhere in here after Ryan and the landlord left, the front door knob went missing (both the inside and outside and the door was open which really confused me. I texted the landlord about that and that the water was sputtering. He came and was just as confused about the door knob (luckily there was still a lock and we have a back door) and played with the water getting it to run again, yet not full strength in the kitchen. 

That was my wet and miserable weekend which I would have much rather read and done homework for class instead of 'playing' with water. 

Hope everyone else's weekend was better!

Always Remember

It was a normal day 11 years ago today. I got up, ate breakfast and went on the bus to my grade school. I was in the 6th grade. I talked with my friends Laura and Ashley before class and then the school bell rang and we headed in to our seats. I was in English class with Mrs. Wagner. She was a short women with violently curly hair that was salt and peppered over with age but was as spunky as ever. She helped make learning fun. She was teaching us some grammar and we were all practicing on our worksheets. Then we heard the news. Mrs. Wagner, a calm, helping person, freaked out. Her daughter was an flight attendant on American Airlines. As she, Mrs. Wagner's daughter flew a lot, Mrs. Wagner never kept track of what flights she was on. Two of the planes that were high jacked were American Airline planes. Quickly after the first tower, the North Tower, was struck, a TV was rolled into my class room. We all gathered round the TV and watched as smoke was billowing from the tower. Shortly after we watched in horror as another plane came into picture and struck the South Tower. Fire and smoke came out as lives were instantly lost. At this time Mrs. Wagner was at her desk frantically dialing her daughter's number. The line continued to ring. She called her son-in-law and he told her what flight she was on. Her flight wasn't one that hit the World Trade Centers, but there were two more flights that would soon be involved. As we were watching around the TV, the other 6th grade classes came into the room, sitting on desks and the floor, anywhere they could fit. We watched awestruck as people on the upper levels waved frantically for help out their windows, trying to get a breath of fresh air. We watched as people jumped out the window to their death. We watched as firefighters tried their best with the worst situation they've probably seen. We watched as horns and people were going crazy in the streets. We watched as the South Tower collapsed and people were screaming. The room was silent as we watched. We watched as more smoke and ashes came billowing up. We watched as the North Tower collapsed. We watched as by standers on the ground yelled and ran away, covering their mouths as not to breath in the soot. We watched. We witnessed. We watched Mrs. Wagner sigh in relief that her daughter was not on any of the flights high jacked. I will always remember this horrific event. I will always remember where I was. I will always remember Mrs. Wagner shed a silent tear as her daughter was safe, and another for all the lives that were lost. I will always remember.