The Water Cycle

Let me tell you a little story about my life using numbers. Just because.

One day, earlier this month, the water in my apartment went out again. This is a normal occurrence that doesn't seem to affect many other people in the building. Just me. 

Fortunately, I have four jerry cans that I keep around. Usually at least two of them are full, so I can be prepared when water goes out. Like the time it turned off just as I had put shampoo in my hair... 

Each can holds twenty liters and weighs forty pounds when full.

When I'm without water in my apartment, I put one basin in each of my two sinks. One holds water for hand-washing; the other holds dirty dishes until I tote them over to my amazing neighbor's place.

Meet my amazing neighbor, Bron. She is simply the best! Seriously. 

And she doesn't have water issues in the same way I do. So she graciously lets me fill my jerry cans, wash my dishes, and even shower at her place. She lives approximately three steps away, which is really great when I'm carrying full jerry cans or sneaking from her place to mine in a culturally-inappropriate bathrobe.  

For fourteen days this month (So far. The month isn't over yet...), this has been my routine. This has been my reality. It's not so bad (because of Bron), but it's also not so great.

This morning I decided to call my landlord for the millionth time. I asked him to send the plumber again. By five o'clock this evening, these two pairs of shoes outside my door were the most wonderful symbol of hope.

These two men brought in their one long hose, like they always do. This is probably the seventh time they've come to work this ridiculous magic on my pipes. The more times they do this, the less I understand what's going on.
They connect the hose to this pipe in my kitchen, run it through my apartment, out my bathroom window, down the two stories, and connect it to a spigot outside. I believe they turn the spigot on and then force water into my pipes...? I actually have no idea how this process works or the physics behind it, but somehow it brings my water back and causes the tank that I get my water from to re-fill. It's only a temporary fix, but it works!

It's also an incredibly messy process. When they finished today, there was a quarter inch of water on my kitchen floor. And one giant basin full of very dirty water. But guess what. 

There was one giant basin full of very dirty water! That came out of my apartment! 

That's good news, folks.

 And this is one beautiful sight that I haven't seen in two weeks.

So how did I celebrate? By happily washing a big load of dishes at my own sink.

And by hanging the five most darling Christmas decorations sent by a dear supporter. 

...So many reasons to celebrate and be thankful.