A Mixer is a Tool, Right?

I think I've mentioned before that we discovered, after making an offer to purchase our house last March, that we believe it was built by Ali's great-grandfather. (Or was it great-great?) That made the purchase more special, but it also makes it more difficult to complain about things that are wrong with the place.

The house has a MAJOR flaw. It has no basement. That fact alone is not really the problem, but it's the cause of the problem. Because it only has a crawlspace, someone decided to convert the back porch into a laundry room. So, all the water pipes run along an exposed, outside wall with no protection.

Our pipes have frozen four times in January.

Without being dramatic about it – this has sucked. It caused the worst fight Ali and I have ever had – one that took almost two days to get over. Almost as bad was laying in 8" of snow and ice on our backs on the patio, with our heads under the house, holding a hairdryer to a pipe we're not even sure is the right one and praying that the pipes don't break because we have no idea where the main shut-off valve is. Oh yeah. . .I neglected to mention that one of those days when we were laying out there it was 5:45 in the morning and the windchill was -25.

Good times.

I'm on Facebook and a few of those days I was whining in my status update about frozen pipes. Out of the blue comes a friend from college who I haven't seen or talked to in 22 years. Lynda is laid off from Whirlpool right now and offered to help. I had no idea she lived in Findlay or that she was still as nice as she was all those many years ago.

Saturday was home improvement day on Hurd Avenue. Other friends on Facebook had laughed at me - I'm really more Martha Stewart than Tim the Toolman. The only tools I know how to use effectively are ones that you use in crafting. 

Lynda knew exactly what to do. I just stood there, trying to be supportive and not feel like an idiot. 

Oliver had no such reservations about being helpful.

The whole operation took less than half an hour, in spite of Oliver's help. We went back inside and talked for awhile, catching up on 22 years and getting to know each other's partners. It was a really nice afternoon and as they left, I gave them a loaf of homemade bread. I may not be very good with plumbing but I know my way around the kitchen.

After all, a mixer is a tool, right??