Lessons Learned

1. If you feel overwhelmed by the mouse poop in your house (due to a VERY dirty neighbor moving and finally cleaning out their mouse-infested garage, said mice then coming to live in your house), tell your best friend. If she's really your best friend, she'll help you clean up. (Thanks, Auntie J!)

2. If your faucets to your washer start leaking, do all your laundry in one day, turn off the faucets, and call a plumber. Don't ask your DIY husband to learned soldering and plumbing on the fly. Especially on a Friday at 3 p.m. When the weekend means you will be calling a plumber for "emergency" work - the emergency being no running water.

3. If said husband decides to wing it, take your children to your parents' house (or another house with running water). At 7 hours and counting with no running water, it's getting to be an interesting experiment. I know how to flush the toilet by pouring a bucket of water in!

4. Even if said husband fails at the plumbing, be sure to tell him you appreciate how hard he tried.

EDITED TO ADD: DH managed to replace the washer faucets, but then the rubber gasket gave out in the water into our hot water heater, and the main line into the house started leaking. Needless to say, we called Reddi Root'r and had them come by last night. The plumber said DH did a great job soldering. Good for DH!

from the room of Zana's Ninis,

katie z.