Hurricane Sandy ... or "I'm dreaming of a white Halloween"

I tried to publish a post yesterday, but I think the storm caused some internet problems. We were fortunate in western Ohio. We had howling winds during the night of the 29th-30th and we woke to snow on the 30th. We did not lose power, our snow came in flurries only, and, of course, with no ocean, we did not have a tidal surge. We hope our friends in the NE, the mid-Atlantic states, and West Virginia are safe.

Check the roof. Notice our big spider (for Halloween, of course) above the garage door.

This was our "accumulation." West Virginia puts us to shame.

The day before Halloween! Who knew?

War of 1812 returns

We went to a War of 1812 commemoration at Indian Creek Distillery last weekend. There was a blacksmith, a couple playing the fiddle and mandolin, 1812 militia reenactors, and a tinsmith. We didn't see British troops ready to burn the White House (but that didn't occur till 1814, so perhaps in two years we'll see a reenactment). The working distillery turns out Staley rye whiskey (they're in the process of getting government approval for tastings). The woman who is co-owner of the land and distillery is a descendent of the original distiller, Elias Staley.

The blacksmith.

It was cold, so the jackets and caps felt good. A few days later it was in the high 70s.

An old flintlock.

The road just past the distillery.

The working stills.

Cell phones in 1812? Probably not, but a girl has to have her technology.

What? More water heater drama?

I swore I wasn't going to waste any more blogging space on our water heater. But, I can't let this pass. The home warranty company (it shall remain nameless, but suffice it to say we're finding another one when this policy expires) will kick in $509 today towards a new water heater from the same plumbing company that's been dealing with them this week (Wind Benders out of Springfield - roughly $1300 for a new one and  installation) or in 3-5 days, the home warranty people will have a new A.O. Smith water heater installed, but charge us $115 for a drain, $65 for a flue, $125 for a permit, $74 for a pan, and $520 for some other stuff (Bob didn't annotate the quote completely - for a total of ~$900). Bob talked to Wind Benders, and they'll install a new gas valve for a bit over $500, without the home warranty company's involvement. So, we've got about $800 for a new water heater ($1300 - 509), about $900 (all in "additional charges"), or about $500 for a new valve. Kill me now. We're debating. I've got a call in to my nephew, who does water heaters among other plumbing stuff, just for his advice (he lives in Pennsylvania). Plus, Bob wants to talk to Mike, the Wind Benders tech who's been to our house twice. Nice guy and he seems to know what's going on. Meanwhile, we turn the water heater off except for once a day heating of a tankful of water, so we can bathe, run the dishwasher, and do laundry. It's still leaking natural gas into the utility room. :(

On a completely different note, Isabella went to see Dr. Nguyenba yesterday in Worthington for her cardiac check-up. She's doing well and Dr. N is pleased. Plus, he showed us pictures of his three kids (the baby is only 5 months old) on his new iPhone. The kids are adorable. :)

Is that natural gas I smell?

On Saturday, I went downstairs and smelled natural gas. It was especially strong in the utility room where the water heater is. We called the plumbing people who had been here on Friday, and they told us to call the home warranty people. We did, and they said they'd contact the plumbing people, which they did (I guess a gas leak is considered moderately important). The plumbing people sent the same tech who was here on Friday. He brought his handy natural gas detector (it makes a screechy noise when it detects gas). Sure enough, I heard little screechy noises coming from the utility room. He said the gas valve on the water heater needs to be replaced. Of course, he didn't have one with him. He ordered a valve and we hope to have it installed Monday or Tuesday. Meanwhile, we turn off the water heater except for a couple of times a day when we want hot water for bathing, washing dishes, etc. We asked the plumbing guy if this would be safe to do, and he said yes. We also put a fan in the utility room to move any leaking gas out to a bigger area. Never in all my days have I had this much trouble with a water heater. Do you suppose it will really be fixed with a new gas valve?

Hot water!

The second plumber came, replaced a whole bunch of stuff, fiddled with more stuff, and abracadabra - hot water! We are so thrilled. We're going to draw straws to decide who gets the first shower ... or should we run the dishwasher ... or should we wash some clothes? Decisions, decisions. I admit it. We're spoiled. We love hot water. I don't for one minute think I have the pioneer gene. I would have stood on the steps in St. Louis and waved bye bye to all those people and their covered wagons. I'd have said, "I'll come and see you after freeways are invented!"

No hot water

We hope this turns out to be only a 3-day event. We thought our water heater was fixed yesterday, when we called the home warranty people and they sent a plumber. He said the thermocouple was dirty - he cleaned it, and pretty soon, we had hot water and we thought the problem was gone. Wrong. During the night sometime, the water heater went out again. We called again and the plumber guy came back. He contacted the home warranty company and told them the thermocouple needed to be replaced. They said they were sending someone for a second opinion - which, of course, wouldn't happen until Friday. Second opinion? Like an important operation or other medical treatment? It's a water heater! Meanwhile, we all went to Penny and Jack's for a shower. Tonight, I heated water on the stove to wash dishes. Gosh, it's just like camping. I hate camping.