Modern Day Conveniences

It's interesting to me the things we take for granted in this modern world, that wouldn't have been a second thought to those even 50-100 years ago. Flipping a light switch, nuking your lunch, flushing a toilet, or pouring coffee down a drain. Until you can no longer do those things.

After Hurricane Ike blew through in 2008 and we returned to a house with no power, we really had to re-think how we were going to do things; showers, washing clothes, making meals. We are so used to going about our day-to-day lives doing these things without a care or second thought, that it's not until we can longer do them, that we have to get creative. Sure, if you regularly go camping, you have an idea of what to do, but our idea of camping is a fully stocked travel trailer, or at the very minimum a tent in a camping/travel trailer park. Where at least there is hot running water and electricity.

We were able to get a little generator after the storm, and so we creatively used it to plug in the washing machine until it was done, then to plug in the dryer, until it was done, to plug in the tankless water heater until we were done showering or washing the dishes by hand.

There's other things we missed too. Internet, air conditioning, listening to the evening news or watching our favorite shows, even staying up late because we could turn on a light.

We were without power after that storm for just under 3 weeks. That's right, 3 weeks! Longest {forced} camping trip ever!

Fast forward to last week; I was sleeping nicely just about to have a wonderful dream when my husband is banging loudly on my son's bathroom door, telling him to turn off the water "Now!". At first I thought they were running late, but I didn't have time to consider any other possibility because he then came to me and told me there was water on the floor again, downstairs.

So from my sweet slumber, I jump out of bed and run downstairs to help in water removal. Not the greatest way to wake up, if you ask me. After that was under control, it was time to start calling plumbers, most of whom cannot even consider seeing us until late in the day or early the next day.

I think, okay no problem, we can wait. Until.....I have to clean out the coffee pot to make coffee, or use the facilities and remember to not flush, thankful that it is only 1 and not 2. Then it dawns on me the gravity of the situation, I can't wash my hands, or take a shower, or throw the coffee down the sink. Shoot! The plumber asks me, would you consider this an emergency? Well, let's see, I can't flush, wash my hands or pour fluids down my kitchen sink, it might be an emergency.

Thankfully Brazosport Plumbing was able to clear their schedule for us. They were elbow deep in the mud trying to clean out the pipe. It seems the tree went searching for water there; better there than the foundation, if you ask me. Just a bit less expensive to change that part of the pipe out.

After these lapses in modern conveniences I'm not too sure how I would fare during a zombie apocalypse. I think I might one of the first ones bitten as I'm standing there staring at the light wondering why it won't come on when I flip a switch.

Thanks for stopping by!
--Marion