Can we all agree that life is one big yin-yang? For every wonderful part of the journey, there seems to be an underlying headache of some sort. It is part of the game- part of the delicate balance- part of the standard flow over the hills and valleys of life.
Those who are wise, learn to succumb to the rapids when the waters get rough, attempt to tolerate the motion as much as possible, and then soak in the lessons presented upon coasting into calmer waters.
The biggest lesson learned by me over 37 years of life, 14 years of marriage, 12 years of parenthood, 14 years of home ownership, and 10 years in the real estate industry? Some events are so incredibly over-the-top and ridiculous, you just have to laugh once the initial panic subsides. If you take these events too seriously, it will drive you bananas- plain and simple.
So starts my tale of the past few weeks in Casa de Nenonen. Steve had business in San Antonio. As we LOVE the city and have been there numerous times in the past sans the kids, we opted to cart them along and make a vacation out of it.
It couldn't have been better. Truly. Phenomenal week of rest, relaxation, culture , and history with our boys.
Within 1 hour of arriving home, however, we were confronted with this....
*sigh*
To make a very long story short: we came home to a pipe burst, water actively shooting out of our Master Bathroom wall, that resulted in well over 10K worth of damage. Luckily, the damage was MINOR compared to what it could have been. Thanks to a floor vent in our Master bathroom (that acted as a drain for 3 days), our main living areas were spared as the water flowed through our duct work into the unfinished side of our basement and garage. Hallelujah.
In addition, thanks to the recent killer heat wave... my top has been UP for weeks. Hence, THIS was not the garage scenario when we left town! Whew.
The entire event was a fluke and while the pipe burst couldn't have been prevented, we made a major mistake that I feel compelled to share. One that will never be made again in this household.
Dear reader, when you leave town-- please turn off your main water valve. It takes 2 minutes and could possibly save you hours and HOURS of expense and headache.
For years, I have assisted and advised clients through household emergencies. While Steve and I haven't been fortunate enough to be 100% devoid of issues... this was by far the WORST "household surprise" that we have come home to.
Now we diligently work with contractors and the insurance company to get Humpty put back together again as soon as possible. In the meantime, we will never EVER leave town again without a visit to the main water shut-off first...
