Home Ownership at it's finest....

Last week - in the midst of the 20 to 30 degree weather a sensor went out on our furnace. Naturally we notice it has gone out Friday at 5:13 pm. For the weekend we suck it up, but the electric blanket on our bed, we our long johns in the house and hats and mittens when we sleep. Thankfully it was a $20 part to fix and and a service call (I feared much much much worse).

TODAY - I get home and find out that 3/4 of our outlets aren't working, our lights are half on half off ish - surging with power, and all of our major appliances had no power (washer, dryer, dishwasher, stove/oven, well pump, fridge, and deep freeze). Soooo after spending time on the phone with our electric company, waiting for them to come out and check the line, ANNNDD finding out (what I feared) that the problem is on our side of the line. I called our electrician, and he said his best guess given what is happening in the house is that a gopher or something else ate/chewed/whatever threw our lines creating this problem. SOOOOOOOOO  we have to pay to have them retrench the line - and at our electrician (and several neighbors suggestion) run a 3.5 inch drain pipe around the wires (which is supposedly too big for these critters mouths to get around) and re-run all the lines to our house.

Translation: for the next several days we are channeling what will feel like our inner Amish (I have joked about becoming Amish - however this is real) - we have 1/4 or so of our outlets working at our house, no washer, no dryer, no well pump, (which translates to I am hauling 5 gallon buckets of water from work every day), no indoor toilet, (thank God the welcome/visitor center is just under 2 miles away), no stove, no oven, minimal electricity, and the candles will be burning bright as well as our camping lantern (which of course I had our camping supplies buried deep in our basement closet). Also the electrician said it could be until Monday or Tuesday before they are able to come and fix it.

Side note while I am slightly persnickety: I am working on week 3 of a nasty head cold which leaves my nose running most of the time, and has some serious sinus pressure with it. And for the cherry to top it all off it has been raining here and in the 30s for the last 6 days and I have to go to a work conference/synod assembly all weekend (which I will be able to use a toilet and have running water, Sorry Marc) and I am just not excited about it. I also just looked at my calendar and every weekend in May I have stuff going on.

OH THE JOYS OF HOME OWNERSHIP.
I love it 99% of the time.
This is the 1%.


Do you own your house?
Have you ever gotten to do something along this line?
Anyone have any nonmedicated options for getting rid of a nasty cold/sinus pressure?

• Netti pot didn't work for more than about 30 seconds of relief 
• I am consuming more fluids than I ever thought possible by one human being
• I am going to resort to ice cream and copious amounts of it to deal with life at the moment