It's Always Something....

Just as we thought we were done with home improvement work for a little while, our latest mishap occurred. Our water heater bit the dust on Saturday night, making Sunday an oh so joyous day of buying another one, removing the old one, and installing the new one.

Let me paint a little picture for you. Imagine this: a girl with no biceps, a boy with biceps and lots of testosterone, and a pedestal which sits about 12-18 inches off the ground and contains a broken 40 gallon water heater with probably about 39 gallons of water still in it (prior draining of water heater apparently not successful), as well as a lot of sediment sitting at the bottom of it. All three of these – the girl, the boy, and the water heater - are located in a very small confined room adjacent to a furnace and other ductwork. In addition, a natural gas line, which the water heater was connected to, just happens to be in an incredibly inconvenient location (i.e. an area that requires much maneuvering with very heavy objects in a small confined space so as not to disturb it). Did I mention the very persistent boy who has biceps, the girl who doesn’t and a water heater that was still full of water? Can you imagine this picture? Like I said, it was an oh so joyous day!

But wait... there's more. The issue: New 40 gallon water heater in six-foot tall by two-foot wide cardboard box - it's weight 138 pounds, it's location upright in bed of pickup truck. The goal: move box from truck to ground. The dilemma: Same girl, same boy, and no change in bicep status. Somehow the box made it the ground safely! Did I mention that oh so joyous day?! Next issue: Lift very awkward water heater onto pedestal in small confined room, with very inconveniently located natural gas line, and do not drop or otherwise damage brand new apparatus. The dilemma: well, it hasn’t changed! I think I may have mentioned the oh so joyous day, didn’t I?

Well somehow, after several choice words, just as much tongue biting, and a few clunks of wrenches bouncing off the concrete garage floor we now have hot water and no gas leaks! WAHOO! And I have a husband who did an awesome job of tackling a project he had never done with determination and persistence. Oh how I love that boy with biceps and lots of testosterone!