Drama of a Different Sort

Because I don’t have enough stress in my life already I came home yesterday to a domestic nightmare. After work I came home to change and go for a walk before picking Luke up from kindergarten. The closet light wouldn’t work so I figured that the bulb had burnt out. Well, until I saw other things were off too. I checked the breaker panel in the house and everything was fine so I called the power company. They informed me that there weren’t any outages and that they have record of my payment and to check the main breaker outside. It was off so I flipped it back on and things seemed fine…

I got home from walking and picking Luke up and prepared to make him some dinner, only to discover that things were definitely NOT fine. The stove turned on…but wouldn’t heat up enough to boil water. Some things worked in the house and some didn’t. Jay came home, talked to the neighbor who said the fencing contractors had cut their water line while taking out the fence, and suggested that one phase wasn’t making it into the house. Jay had a business dinner to attend so I called a friend who has a meter (yes, I’m an EE without a meter at home…disgraceful, I know) and we checked out the panel inside and confirmed that only one phase was making it in the house. It was dark and difficult to see the main outside so Jay called an electrician who came out first thing this morning. Did I mention that the electrical main for our building is a suspicious two feet from the digging location where the contractors cut the neighbor’s water line?

The electrician this morning discovers that the contractors cut the power line and that the water is *boiling* underground because of the proximity of the cut power line to the cut water line. He says it is too big of a job for him to do and that the concrete will have to be dug out (the word “winch” was mentioned) and a new line put down with the power company’s involvement. We have called the home owner’s association and they are supposedly sending someone out to deal with it “immediately”. We have had so many problems with our home owner’s association since we’ve lived here; I cringe to think about dealing with them over this. I am prepared for battle though!

So this is where things stand as of this morning: I have lukewarm water instead of hot water, can’t run the stove or the microwave, can’t do laundry. Half of my electrical outlets don’t work so I moved the fridge into the dining room last night and have to use a flashlight in the bedrooms (but the bathroom lights work). The ceiling fans don’t work but at least my OTT light outlet is good. Oh yeah, and it could be *weeks* until it’s fixed, according to one of my co-workers. Great. I have got to wonder what drama will be next in my life…