It Just Gets Better Better

[FourPart]

Ever since the refurbishments to the building, when the new Heating / Hot Water system was installed, the hot water supply has been far from optimal, meaning that if I have a bath, then it takes a couple of days before it reaches any level of reasonable heat. Last week I had a bath as well as ran a laundry load. The next day the water wasn't even luke warm - barely even room temperature, so I got onto the Council to arrange for someone to come out & fix it. Now, of course, because I'm working, and the hours clash, I've managed to book a 07:45 - 12:30 slot for Wednesday (tomorrow), with a note of it being High Priority, as I would have to leave at 09:00. We shall see.

Also, for the past couple of weeks I've been getting by on Paracetamol & Ibuprofen because of a toothache (which has also had me so much on a knife edge that I got into a dispute with the Assistant M.D. - although he is a total prick, anyway, and ended up storming out of rehearsal on Thursday - which is not like me at all) & have had to book an appointment at the Dentist. Once again, there is a problem with times, and the earliest I can be fitted in is - you guessed it - Wednesday (tomorrow), at 11:00, so I've had to book a day's leave at work.

Then, on Sunday, due to having to do my chewing on the other side, a filling comes out. Good job I've already got the appointment, but this means that I now have a raging toothache on one side, and the beginning of another on the other side, along witha hole you just can't keep your tongue away from.

Then, it was a good job I had an early night last night, as I woke up 3 minutes before the alarm was due to go off - an alarm I had forgotten to set, as I realised while listening to the radio, waiting for it to go off, so I could hit the Snooze button.

Then, whilst listening to the radio, I hear some pretty unwelcome news. My route to work has heavy snow (although, to be honest, looking out of the window it's not exactly what I'd call heavy, seeing as the grass is still very much visible beneath it - although that doesn't say anything about what it's like further on).

Then it's off to the bathroom for the usual things where I heard a sort of creaking, which I attributed to the radiators expanding as the timer / thermostat kicked in. Then, whilst I was sat on the loo I realised that the 'creaking' was not creaking at all, but water dripping from the inlet pipe to the toilet cistern. First thing to do? Turn the water off at the mains, obviously. You'd think so, wouldn't you? But when the Council did all the bathroom refurbishments last year they encased the stopcock behind the panelling then, having realised what they'd done, cut a very rough hole in it & screwed an oval bit of plywood over the top, with a single screw, with the idea that it could swivel so as to allow access. Fine. Then they painted it!! Now it won't budge, despite my having taken a hammer to it.

I tried putting a bucket under the drip, but judging by the rate of the drip it would be overflowing by about lunchtime, so I now have a large swing bin squeezed behind the toilet - lucky it just about fits - with a bit of encouragement.

I've email the Council to give them an update on the situation & have asked that they move it from HIGH priority to TOP priority. Although I have tomorrow off, I still have to leave at about 10:15 in time to get to the Dentist (although I didn't update them on the fact that I've taken tomorrow off).

It never rains, but it pours (or snows, as in this morning's case).