Well it’s been an interesting day to say the least. Woke up with a headache, feeling dehydrated, drank some water, went back to sleep, but the headache wouldn’t go away so I got out of bed and had 2 gel caps. Showered and went out for the bagel and newspaper routine. Called Julio and Stine to see if they wanted anything and Julio requested bagels. Picked those up and did some grocery shopping. It rained quite a bit last night and today promised more rain, but I was relatively lucky and rain free at that moment.
Came home, had breakfast, decided to get a haircut. Mr. L’s on the corner of my block seemed empty when I walked by so I walked in. Unfortunately there were a bunch of guys waiting before me sitting below the window pane. I decided to run some errands instead of waiting and hope for the best later in the afternoon. I did go to the library and picked up the dvd of The History Boys. Bill hadn’t seen the whole thing and getting the dvd was a pretty good idea I thought. Also ran up to the produce store on Washington Street and bought a head of lettuce.
Back at the apartment I chilled out and started to do the laundry. First load was colors as usual. Seemed to go well. I surfed the net as the white started to do their thing. Midway through, I hear a clunk clunk. I don’t pay too much attention since it stopped and I thought it was the construction next door in the rain. Then I started to hear water spilling on the floor and thought the sink might be backed up. It happens. I get up and step into a puddle. There is water pouring out of the top of the hot water heater. Puddles throughout the kitchen heading into the bathroom. I recycled all the newspapers the other day so I scrambled to find something else to sop up the water with.
Found a bunch of rags and set about on my hands and knees mopping up the water after I figured out how to turn off the water. Then I called Peter the landlord who said he’d call someone. I called Julio for some advice but he was in West new York and couldn’t really help. Didn’t matter since the water was turned off anyway. I mopped for about an hour, wringing out rags and dumping the water in the toilet. Then with that done I sat and waited for the guy to show up and do something about the hot water heater. Three hours later I decided to get a haircut since I never heard from this guy. The barber shop was empty when I walked in and I was out of there in about thirty minutes, looking less shaggy but still bangin’.
Called landlord Peter again who explained that the guy named Robert was in the city and would be back soon enough. Robert called about an hour later said he’d be here in about thirty minutes. An hour later Robert appears. Robert is the building handyman, and last I saw him he was painting the fire escape last July at 10:00 at night in the dark. He came over and drained the rest of the water from the heater and he and I moved it into the hallway. He left after that, leaving his tools behind, saying that Bill and I will be getting a new hot water heater tonight.
That was about ninety minutes ago. So Bill and I here now, outside a storm rages from the southwest. No hot water, but we have The History Boys.
