I believe my house may be trying to drive us away.

Of course, if it keeps breaking little bits of itself like this, I’m going to be unable to sell it to anyone. So, if the property is indeed sentient or haunted by a Spielbergian Poltergeist, it probably ought to have thought its cunning plan through a little better.

The issue this time is, once again, plumbing; specifically, the bits we just had fixed a week or two ago. Yesterday morning, I was in the shower, beginning the process of lathering the shampoo in my hair. At that point, the pipes begin THUNK!-ing loudly, and the shower stops showering. Turning the shower knob off, the THUNK!-ing stopped, and I was able to rinse myself under the tap, but the whole experience was, understandably, frustrating.

Since then, the thunking starts whenever I turn on the water past a trickle. That image above is about how I looked this morning after hosing off under said trickle.Guess who’s getting a call first thing Monday morning?

That was how we started out the weekend. It eventually got better, but not quite yet.

Next stop was the “siblings are special” class for Mary and Andrew at the hospital, including a tour of the maternity ward, which was cool for the kids, but merely brought on a case of unpleasant flashbacks for me, as we stood listening to the tour guide lady in exactly the bit of hallway where I sat, on my own, entirely alone, wondering whether I’d ever see my wife again (and my kid for the first time) as they whisked Colleen away for Andrew’s emergency caesarian.

Oh well. I’ll live. And I think the kids may have learned something, despite the fact that I don’t think they tend to respond to the “cutesy, high-pitched elementary school voice” that the teacher/whatever she was used with the kids (and, unfortunately, with the parents!), that Colleen and I have never used at all with them, because it annoys the ever-living piss out of us?

You know that voice – the voice that only comes from an elementary school teacher who has no social contact with anyone who’s not five years old? Thank dieties far and wide that my sister never adopted that one with other adults; I think I’d have to kill her then. Jen, is that something they teach you guys specifically as part of that El-Ed degree program?

Step three of our Saturday was picking up the new beds for the girl(s) room, which we picked up second-hand from Colleen’s friend Sarah. We got them in just before we finished painting. As I type this now, the room is actually clean and useable. Yay. One thing down.

And, after two bum shipments, the online computer guy is sending us (crosses fingers) the correct power adapter for Colleen’s laptop; the second shipment was the right part number, but the new configuration (why would they change the plug end and not the part number?) – we need the old one. He’s also refunding our purchase price. Yay, free stuff.

Otherwise, not a lot to report- stayed up too late last night playing Katamari and drinking vodka (just me – not Colleen – that would be bad). I also found, during a routine shopping expedition, a Marvel Legends She-Hulk figure (finally!) and got some neat new plants for the fish tank. Today, assuming everybody behaves and gets their chores done, we’re thinking about hitting the “two dollar movies” preview show at the new fancy theater down the road. Fantastic Four 2 is one of the cheapies, so I won’t get to see Transformers yet, but soon, I tell you. Soon.

If Colleen doesn’t insist on Harry Potter first,
-chuck