Well, yes I know it has been awhile and left you all hanging, but in Tennessee time we just arrived like a week ago with no worries; just in time to sit back and enjoy some bugs and the view. So far the place is great and the people are great, nice and friendly. The locals don't pay much mind to that yellow line in the road, but one learns to play chicken mighty fast in these parts, so maybe we're fitting in alright.
The house wasn't quite ready when we expected, but we barged our way in and lived without some creature comforts for awhile and things are still getting worked on every now and then. That's fine with me and I enjoy a knock on the door every now and then. I just kick some toys out of the way and tell the construction workers to have at it. Now if I see the builder coming on by, I break out in a cold sweat. I mean I warned the guy that I have 5 kids. Five that never learned not to put dirty hands, crayons, markers, Hot Wheels cars, basketballs and the like on the walls. That beautiful paint job, gone in a week. Those beautiful hardwood floors, distressed in a month. I know, I know, it's just a house, but builders take pride in their work and sometimes to see it lived in a little more than expected can just depress a guy. But sometimes a little living is good. To get out in the night air and just breath it in. Like what happened the other night.
This isn't so much a kid story, where one of the kids does something crazy, I have enough of those. It was just one of those days stories that happens to the best of us. Now we're from Southern CA and we're not used to the 55" of rain that comes along out here, but we are learning. And we learned that having 18" deep water collecting in the crawlspace of your house isn't the best thing. So our builder has some guys take a look and the determine that somewhere out there are some drains that just aren't draining quite the way they should be. They start off with some shovels and before I know it, there's a backhoe in the front yard starting to dig some holes. The boys decided that since it was getting on to 3:00, that they probably just do this job tomorrow. And so it was.
The next day they continue to look for the blocked drains. Apparently they pretty much gave up and decided to dig some trench for the new drain pipe. Apparently they weren't quite sure where the water main line was because they dug that up, too. And promptly broke it in two. Since the kids were in school and the one that is home is in diapers yet, it wasn't a huge deal for me that I was without water. But the combination of broken water main and the release of water from under the house resulted in some pretty wet soil. And if there wasn't enough of a party on my lawn, here comes the propane truck.
Well, I knew we were probably in need of propane, so I hoped that the propane man would brave the crowds and at least take a look at our tank. He sure did and he decided that indeed it needed some filling. And filled it got.
By 4:00 I had water back on in the house, a dry crawlspace, a filled propane tank and a school bus full of kids coming home headed down the road. Oh what a day. But back to putting those Christmas decorations away. So I take a box out to the garage. And it smells like propane. Of course it does, the propane man had just been there. But it smells like propane A LOT. So, I decide to take a peek. And it really stinks. And the tank was hissing at me. I didn't think tanks were suppose to hiss, but this being a Tennessee tank it's apt to do just about anything it wants. So I decide to give it about 5 minutes to get a hold of itself and just cut that stuff out. Only it didn't want to. And I didn't want to, not only having been here a couple of months, but it left me no choice. I had to dial 911. And they came. Down our quiet little street. Red lights flashing and just giving the kids the thrill of all thrills....firetrucks in your very own driveway!!
Mr. Hissyfit Propane Tank was given a quick look-see and it was determined that he was going to be trouble and that the house must be evacuated. Coats were grabbed, shoes put on and we quickly made our way out into the dusky winter air. Where we waited for propane man to make a call and tame our tank beast. Only he was busy, somewhere else. 90 minutes away. The kids sat in the fire truck to stay warm. Cars were parading up and down in front of our house. Looking at the excitement that had descended upon their quiet little place. And finally, my husband, who I was able to warn by cell phone about his first encounter with Leiper's Fork's finest, appeared. We were told it would be at least another hour before things could be secured and we could go back into the house, so a few Happy Meals and playland action was called for. Seatbelt laws be damned, we got into the G-35 and headed out.
By the time we got home 90 minutes later, all was quiet and dark and yet again peaceful in our little part of the woods.
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