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Along the Natchez Trace

Thursday, March 13, 2014

In Hot Water?

I don't think I've mentioned that we haven't had hot water for almost 2 weeks, have I?  I know darned well that I haven't because even thinking about it sets me off...  and who really wants to go on a rant in their last couple of weeks at a place?  
Of course we called our landlord...  and e-mailed him.  I won't go into all the excuses he made, but one of them was that he was in the hospital.  Kind of reminds me of those excuses like the dog ate the term paper...  you know.
Anyway, yesterday, Rudolpho, the guy who does whatever maintenance our landlord deems necessary, came by...  told us that Robert didn't have the money to fix the water heater...  as well as not having the money to pay him (Rudolpho)...  
To shorten this story up a bit...  we invited Rudolpho in... we'd already had dinner, but had plenty of leftovers (pizza)...  and... Rudolpho always likes a cup of coffee....  so he hung out a while with us and showed us pictures of his kids and his grandmother (who is 100 years old) and other family photos.

Rudolpho has a pretty good use of English, but the language barrier is still there.  The really neat thing about him is that he has the patience to listen to my butchered Spanish... and gently correct it.  

Rudolpho stayed the night in the condo next door....  the one that houses the hot water heater AND the modem for our internet.  Today, he and his brother fixed the hot water heater so it produces hot water again.  Not sure how...  don't know where they got the parts....  didn't see them when they left.

But, this afternoon, for the first time in nearly 2 weeks I got a HOT shower!  Not that I haven't had a shower every day, but using only the water as it is.  Okay...  before you think icy cold shower, keep in mind that the vessel that holds our water is up on the roof...  and the sunshine beats down on it...  so......  by late afternoon each day, the water is ...well, maybe luke warm at the most.  Not nearly warm enough for me.... but...  you takes what you gets.....

Just because I want to...
I'll show you another shot I got of the White-lored Gnatcatcher today....
While not especially good, this one does show the black head and the pattern over his eye.

I'm starting to think about plans for when we return to the States...  Al, of the Bayfield Bunch has me wanting to make a trip to Trader Joes.  And that's just the beginning of my list!  
But...  for now...

That's All For Today!






14 comments:

  1. Those cookies sound quite tasty, don't they? So glad you have hot water again. Can I just say your landlord sounds like a sleeze bag?!

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  2. You may double up on hot showers, just to catch up. For the time being, thanks to Rudolpho.

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  3. It seems your 'water' experience is worse than boondocking. ;)

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  4. So glad he got your water problem fixed! I LOVE a hot shower. Nice shot of the Gnatcatcher too.

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  5. Life in Central America. :) Really makes one appreciate a lot of the little things once back to the States. It's funny, but in the larger issues like groceries and transportation and internet and cell phones there isn't a huge difference. It's the little things like turning off the electricity on random Saturdays (about once a month in La Paz), water issues, needing to figure out how to ask for simple things when the landlord/landlady speak only Spanish and I spoke only English with a few butchered common words between us. These are the things that make me think again when I start wondering if I should move back down there in order to retire a bit earlier.

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  6. Nice that you finally got some hot water again, I guess the bribe to Rudolpho worked.

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  7. You folks have been so much more patient than I would have been!

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  8. Aah yes, life in Central America. When I first went to Guatemala I lived with a prosperous family for several months. The father is a doctor and the mother a school teacher. That's background. They told me how to use the hot water in the shower - it didn't work. I told them and they continued to say it would work. For the first three months I took cold showers. Finally they installed a new contraption that fits on the water line just able the shower head (about a $30 piece). Well, it didn't work either so I gave up and was thankful just to have water and soap! When the doctor asked how my hot water was I told him that it wasn't but that I was used to the cool shower just to not be a complainer. I did learn that a cold shower is one heck of a lot nicer than NONE!

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  9. If you come to Oregon, you can stay in my driveway!

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  10. No shower? Jump in the ocean, but then you would get a salt crust. OK, I am confused. Your first commenter, Dawn; What cookies is she talking about? Did I miss something.

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  11. Sorry you never had hot water for two weeks.

    Thank you. Love love, Andrew. Bye.

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  12. I've been thinking of a trip to Trader Joe's myself for the past week...his pic of those lemon crisp cookies didn't help. I don't think I'll last another week before I make the hour drive.

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  13. Gosh, I could do a few days, but two weeks without hot water??? Good thing the water tank is on the roof and the sun is shining, that at least makes it better. I'm glad you got it fixed.

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