I should have learned by now to watch what I wish for, or what I whine about. We have a family wedding coming up this weekend in NC. Since summer passed by without any sort of vacation or even a day trip, I had the idea to go early and spend a few days with dear relatives at their lake house. It's always a fun time and we haven't been in two years.
But then, being me, I started panicking about the getting ready part, and the two year old at the lake part, and the boarding the dogs ($$$) part, etc. Somehow, staying home was looking more appealing.
Fast forward to Monday before our Thursday departure. I had gotten behind with laundry so I was still washing the diapers that I usually do Saturday night. So, on my way out the door to drop some kids at the library and pick up a few things for lunch, I turned the washer on for the main wash. I was gone for an hour...
When I got home I went into the bathroom and heard the sound of the washer filling. My first thought was that one of the kids had put the diapers on second rinse, but what were the chances of that? I rushed to the laundry room to find the washer still at the beginning of the cycle, filled to the top with water (water that had dirty diapers in it!) and the laundry room floor flooded. Fortunately (?), I have the bad habit of always having at layer of various clothes on the floor, mostly socks and cleaning rags, so they were soaking up a lot of the mess. Otherwise the damage probably would have been worse.
I was scooping water out of the washer into buckets, assuming the water was leaking under the washer, when my husband called. I was telling him how bad it was and he asked how bad was the basement. Good grief, that hadn't occurred to me. Fortunately, the laundry is over the concrete storage room. But, it was really wet! The tops of the Rubbermaid bins were filled to the brim with water. All of our Christmas things, besides our ornaments, were in cardboard boxes. What a mess!
So now, our week is filled with cleaning the mess. The water guys came today, tore up the flooring and put up noisy fans. Tomorrow the contractors come and figure out what needs to be done. Monday the appliance guys come. I have already spent two afternoons at the laundromat, and will have to make at least one more trip.
That little lake vacation, the one I was stressed about, isn't going to happen. We will still make the wedding, at least some of us. But this little crisis is costing way more than boarding the dogs and is way more stressful and exhausting than taking nine kids to the lake. Just a reminder to be careful what I "wish" for!
To keep it in perspective, though, I have friends in Colorado whose homes were flooded so badly they can't move back in yet. They are dealing with real crisis and loss. So, as I clean up the mess and write checks for repairs, I will be offering it up for them. And remembering, it could be worse.
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