Calendar
April 2008
S M T W T F S
« Mar   May »
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
27282930  
Categories
Latest Postings
Links
Archives
Meta
« This Pie Is Right | Publishing Careers Features Learning To Eat! »

Plumbing Woes Slow Cooking & Other Productivity

Last week was brutal.

Starting last Monday, April 14, the very old plumbing in our apartment building decided to give up. My next-door neighbor got the worst of it, including a flooded kitchen and living room, ruined carpeting, and a jackhammer busting through the concrete slab underneath the carpet so the plumbers could repair the main water line. This is still going on, so we will not have water fully restored until the end of this week. If more complications arise, it may be longer.

Eric and I have been making do as best we can, with some interesting results. For the first few days, we were disappointed and a bit cranky, but we’ve now gotten into a rhythm and having limited access to water is not so horrible. Our neighboring building across the courtyard still has water, so we’ve been using my giant stockpot to draw water from their laundry room sink. That allows us to flush and wash enough to get by.

It occurred to me yesterday how much water we must be saving. I was able to “shower” (standing in the tub and using the help of a big plastic cup) with about one half of the filled stockpot. I’m sure I use a lot more than that taking a traditional shower, and now it seems like showering the regular way is a lot more of a luxury than I realized.

While the water issue is an inconvenience, the noise of plumbers at work is much more disruptive. They’re cutting through the building walls, sawing pipes into proper lengths, and don’t forget the jackhammering through concrete. Most of the noisy work is done while the other tenants are at their jobs for the day, but our peace is doubly wrecked by this plumbing breakdown because we work from home. To make a business call without deafening, pounding interruptions, we have to take a long walk or get in the car.

Anyway, in the midst of this, I somehow managed to cook one decent dinner. On Saturday I made a homemade chicken pie. I did take photos and I have a little story about it and making do, but I’ll have to reserve it for when my nerves are a little less jangled.

In the meantime, please take a look at Cooking to Ground: Daily Acts as Sacred. It’s an article I recently wrote for AmericanMetaphysics.org, which was posted to the site on Sunday, April 20.

This entry was posted on Monday, April 21, 2008 at 23:03 and is filed under balance, making do, los angeles, cooking, dealings w/feelings, energy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.

5 Responses to “Plumbing Woes Slow Cooking & Other Productivity”

  1. Katharine says:
    Tuesday, April 22, 2008 at 07:09

    So sorry about your plumbing woes. But your “Cooking to Ground” piece is lyrical. Thanks for sharing it.

  2. henitsirk says:
    Tuesday, April 22, 2008 at 07:31

    Have you ever read The Fifth Sacred Thing by Starhawk? She really plays up the lack of water in Southern California and how people can survive on much less than they are accustomed to.

    Great article and congrats on publishing!

  3. Eric Harper says:
    Tuesday, April 22, 2008 at 13:09

    Julie,

    That is a great article you published at AmericanMetaphysics.com.

    Interestingly, I had my own reaction to the environment in Los Angeles. When we moved to California, I too was struck by the absolute dryness. However, I began to associate the dryness with LIFE. Because my asthma is exacerbated by allergens and humidity, I have found that the total lack of moisture in California makes it easier for me to breathe — I feel like Doc Holiday coming west for the climate.

    The desert climate here also brought on my fascination with Los Angeles history. NOT celebrity history as most people would assume, but the history of the region. When I walk to the laundry room to collect water from the faucet, I can’t help but chuckle. Just think of how far the early population had to walk in order to obtain water 100 years ago, before the Los Angeles Aquaduct had been constructed and the lonely LA River was the solitary source of water for the whole region. Imagine how cruel it must have seemed, looking at the ocean every day and knowing that the water is laden with salt and not potable. . .

    http://www.faculty.fairfield.edu/faculty/hodgson/courses/city/LosAngeles/Early_images/forttemple.gif

    Lastly, I’d like to go on public record as saying that you really outdid yourself with the chicken pie this weekend. If I could only eat one thing for the rest of my life, I think it would be that. I can’t wait to see the article that it inspires, but I’m even more excited about eating more chicken pie soon!

  4. Judy says:
    Tuesday, April 22, 2008 at 15:01

    Congratulations on publishing your article at AmericanMetaphysics.com. It’s very interesting reading and says a lot about who you are.

    With all the drainage (or maybe it should be non-drainage) issues we’ve had at our house since last September, I sympathize with your plumbing difficulties. After the initial shock, it’s almost fun in the early stages, meeting the challenge and working around the problem. Schlepping grocery bags the long way around dirt piles on snow and ice is hardly a picnic, but you win the tolerance prize for enduring the racket.

    I hope your plumbing problems are remedied soon. Now that Spring has finally reached Ohio, phase two of the “big dig” is right around the corner for me. I’ll send you pictures.

  5. Eric Harper says:
    Wednesday, April 23, 2008 at 01:13

    Thanks for the kind words, Judy!

    We were awakened early Saturday morning by the poor girl next door shouting, “My apartment is flooded! It’s flooded!” NOT the most relaxing way to wake up, but it’s a good thing that we did because it turned out that I was the only person around that day who knew how to shut off the main line. It not only helped her, but it probably prevented the water from gushing under the partition and into OUR place. Yikes!

    I keep telling people: I’d rather have no water than too much.

Leave a Reply