My apartment complex finally fixed the water today at around 5pm, after 10 days of no water at all. Though there's the threat of the water being shut off again overnight if anyone reports any leaks.
First thing I did was flush both toilets! And then, because the water might be shut off again overnight, I filled up a couple of gallon jugs, just in case. And then: The water's still not quite hot, but warm enough to do my first load of dishes. (I'll probably need one to two more loads to get caught up with the backlog.)
(My body can wait 'til the actual HOT water arrives, hopefully tomorrow morning, but in the meantime, I REALLY DO need some at least semi-clean glasses and plates and cutlery!)
I was mainly UNprepared for the 10-day deprivation of city services. The actual freeze last week, and accompanying power outage, only lasted for 3 or so days, and I had enough canned food and bottled water to last through those 3 days.
But my flashlights were, as I wrote in an earlier post, extremely tiny and pitiful (although they did allow me to read during a couple of nights, albeit with the fear that the batteries would wear out at any second---I didn't have any spares).
And once the water outage continued past Day 3 (into Day 10), I was REALLY unprepared water-wise:
(1) Although my apartment complex has a pool that we could haul water from for flushing toilets, I didn't have an appropriate container. I used my plant-watering can and some popcorn bowls, which usually involved 2 or 3 trips daily.
(2) While one 16-oz bottle of water sufficed for brushing my teeth (and washing off the toothpaste suds from my face and right arm), the rest of me could not be washed. I felt nasty. (And I could barely wash my hands at all, much less my hair.)
(3) After a few days, my dishes started to run out. Sans water, I wiped them off with a paper towel, but there was soon a pile-up. (I at least tried to keep separate the spoons I'd used to feed the cats from those I used to feed myself.)
The day prior to the anticipated freeze, but before the actual water outage, I'd listened to the weather reports and ordered like mad from Amazon and Walmart. Knowing the stuff wouldn't arrive on time, but hoping it would arrive at least at the tail-end. Most items have finally arrived today:
A big bucket
A lantern and flashlights (and batteries)
Face wipes and butt wipes
Hand sanitizer
Drinking cups
The above reminds me of an event I attended a few years ago: I, for the most part, looked nice and appropriate for the occasion but, alas, my purse was a big clunker that did not at all suit either my outfit or the event. (I had no other purse for the occasion, but thanks to my sister-in-law for letting me borrow her purse that evening!) Afterward, I searched online and bought not one but two small beaded vintage purses should I ever have to attend a similar event... I've never had to use them since, but at least I'm prepared. (So now I have beaded bags and a bucket, and wipes for both face and butt: Will I ever, though, figure out how to appropriately prepare AHEAD of time?)
No comments:
Post a Comment