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Tag Archives: water

Leaking and Vulnerability

26 Sunday Aug 2012

Posted by fivenineteen in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

crying, drama, fitness, frustration, home repair, kitchen, leaks, planks, plumber, sink, water, workout

I’m having one of those weekends where I really hate being a homeowner.  I just want to pull up stakes and run away!  Arrrghh!

This time it’s the kitchen sink plumbing.  And maybe the dishwasher has crapped out too.  I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know.  And that’s why I feel so damn vulnerable when shit like this happens. 

And I feel even more like a ding-dong on how I discovered this problem.  The other night I was digging for something deep in the cupboard under the sink – a spray bottle for my plants or something.  And there it was – a puddle of water about a half-inch deep on the floor of the cupboard.  And the plastic bottles and stuff sitting in said puddle were all moldy when I pulled them out.  Ew ew ew!!

I about puked!  How long in the hell has that puddle of water been there?  Where else is it leaking?  What does this mean…is it a simple leak fix or do I need to replace everything?  And how much are new dishwashers these days?

So as I mind was racing I sacrificed a couple of old towels for the cleanup job of the moldy puddle.  And I tried not to beat myself up too bad mentally but it was too late.  Old habits are hard to change sometimes. 

Then I wanted to figure out what was causing the leak to calm my mini panic attack. Was it just the dishwasher or was it the sink too?  I ran the dishwasher on a quick rinse cycle and sure enough, water leaked again.  I guess it’s all connected through the sink drain too though?  I don’t know.  But then I ran the sink and it didn’t leak at all.  I went to sleep that night somewhat satisfied.  OK, I found a problem, I’ve cleaned up what I can and I think I know what caused it. And I need help to fix it.

Although now this morning it leaks too when I run the sink faucet.  OK, OK, time to call my plumber.  This is where I should remember to be grateful, as years ago I got referred to a wonderful plumber by a friend here in the area.  She and I are not in contact any longer sadly (no drama – people sometimes come and go in our lives and it’s OK), but R the plumber has been my hero quite a few times here in the townhouse, and I’ve referred him to a couple of friends with great success.  See my Refrigerator Drama post from a couple of years ago for a hilarious recap of what it took to get a new refrigerator ready to install. [I use the word ‘hilarious’ loosely and sarcastically, be warned.]  Ah, there are my words “…my post from a couple of years ago.”  September 2010 it was.  OK, going that long between needing plumbing repairs isn’t TOO bad, right?  Back in 2008 or so he helped me out quite a bit – the water supply connector for one of my toilets had failed (there we go with a leak again) and so we agreed to proactively replace all of the water supply connectors and those twisty turnoff valves that go into the wall for every toilet and sink upstairs and down. Mine were still the old school type and outdated – and starting to fail.  Whew, it was pricey but great peace of mind.  OK, that makes me feel a little better now.  Guess it really is every two years or so.

Stuff like this happens all the time with homeownership, right?  Of course I know the answer is yes.  My townhouse is 32 years old.  Heck, I know newer construction has its problems too.

And OK, I’ll say it.  When home repair problems pop up, it reminds me just how much I hate being single.  Funny how the brain works sometimes with a leap like that.  Now I know I’m not truly ‘alone’ in the sense that I have great friends, family and a lot of people very happy to help me out.  It’s hard to explain, for as much as the help is always so much appreciated, I still sometimes feel like I’m swimming upstream alone.

Yeah, I even cried a bit too.  You know what, I even teared up a teeny tiny bit this past Thursday at the gym.  This was my second workout with my trainer, B, and I arrived with my brain in knots.  It was kind of a tough day at work, my car was on fumes and I was crawling along in unexpected traffic hoping I could get my car a couple quick gallons of gas, not run out of gas in traffic, and not be late for my training appointment (I have to leave work a little earlier than usual which is fine; I was stunned at how bad traffic was on the route I chose). 

So while I was excited to work out, my brain still needed to unwind and refocus.  B started me out with these planking exercises that were way beyond where I am right now in my ability.  Of course when he demonstrated them he made them look easy.  I can do various planking exercises but with not as many reps or for as long of course.

Anyone ever tried planking where you’re on your side, propped up with your forearm AND holding a medium-sized fitness ball between your feet?  Then you raise and lower yourself up and down, keeping your body in a straight line.  Oh dear Lord – that fitness ball makes it super unstable (as it’s supposed to) and while I did eek out a few raises on my right side, my left side was an epic disaster – I rolled all over the place and could hardly do one lift.  B made an interesting point that I’m probably slightly stronger on my right side because of hockey.  I’m a left-handed shot and so my body is used to twisting more in that direction so my core’s in slightly better shape on the right.  Interesting theory!  He says he sees it all the time with golfers too.  So I’ve got a ways to go with that exercise – what an eye opener.  But a frustrating way to start off our session.  I ended up attempting a few planking side lifts without the fitness ball.

I think B picked up on how frustrated and upset I was.  We moved onto other work, mostly focusing on upper body, shoulders, back, triceps and pecs.  Plus some lunges too.  I really enjoy the upper body workouts because it helps me fight off tension from being at a desk all day.  And my muscle tone has really declined.  I want to be able to wear tank tops and feel great without saggy triceps and that darn ol’ ‘back/bra chubby’ bulge we as women are so prone too in our mid back. Yay, middle age!

So that’s the deal…I’m hoping to hear back from R soon so this sink problem can get fixed.  In the meantime, time for a bucket and towels underneath!

I almost called this post “Leaking in the Sunshine,” because the weather has been so wonderful these past few days…we cherish the end of August!  But then I changed my mind.

‘Leaking in the sunshine’ sounds like someone’s peeing outside.

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The Migraine, the Massage and the Monsoon

24 Sunday Jun 2012

Posted by fivenineteen in Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

aura, car, dumbass, family, haircut, headache, job, massage, naked, pain, water

I always say that you really pay for it both before and after trying to take a few days off from work at a super busy time of the year.  As much as it’s necessary to take a break occasionally, the preparation for being away and the rush of returning and trying to catch up in a fast-moving work environment and a small (or not so small) mountain of email can take its toll. 

I feel very fortunate that I have very little to complain about with my current job.  For the last five years most of my work has been short-term consulting engagements, about a year or less in length, and I’ve really hit the jackpot with this current team.  But taking a typical vacation is not really in the cards for me.  I am only paid for hours worked (and pretty well paid, but still vacations are not paid). 

Doing short-term engagements has allowed me to zoom in and out of very different work environments and cultures and to learn a lot very rapidly – both best practices and things to avoid.  There’s an art to it – you’ve got to hit the ground running, develop rapport very quickly with your new colleagues, get your bearings on what’s happening and what needs to happen, and add value from Day One.  So, trying to carve out a week-long vacation, say, can be challenging, unless it’s negotiated right up front when interviewing for the position.  There’s a chance it might be a deal-breaker if it’s during a crucial time in the project.  And I don’t count my time off between work engagements as true vacation time, for my drive to network and land a new engagement is the noise that overshadows any attempt at really unplugging for a while and relaxing.  Perhaps I’ll get better at that the next time around!

I came back to work on Tuesday after a relaxing 4-day weekend with family in town visiting from Chicago.  Ahhh, when I am with them all is right with the world.  And when I got back to the office I had a very brief 10-second moment of bliss, and then the (absolutely expected) WHAMMO debrief of a ton of stuff that happened that I needed to catch up on – fast. 

This time of year is even more hectic.  The company’s fiscal year ends at the end of June, so everyone’s a little extra nutty trying to wrap things up, make sure budgets close out when they’re supposed to…oh, and come July, this place turns into a bowling alley.  Everyone (well, the employees that is) skips town and goes on very well-deserved vacations.  And it’s usually the contingent staff that covers.  This is the 4th business unit I’ve consulted with at this company, and this year actually marks TEN years of consulting here over the past 13 years – wow!  So I’m very, very familiar with the rhythms of business at this company and how the last half of June is a 27-ring circus.  Get stuff done before the fiscal years closes out AND before everyone goes on vacation!

By Thursday I was feeling pretty much caught up, enough to where I felt good carving out a (spontaneous) true hour-long lunch with my former office mate who now is with a different part of our work division.  I’m so glad we are keeping in touch!  We each had Chiang Mai noodle soup – absolutely delicious.  Curry does not typically agree with me (big bummer) but the curry in this soup is very light, and the flavors and spices make this one of the best lunches on the campus – love it!

Then I had a tiny flash of light dot in front of me.  Oh shit, here it comes.  A migraine.  K and I finished our lunches, hugged and walked back to our offices.  I swung by the first aid cabinet in our break room and fumbled around for some sort of pain reliever.  Sometimes if I pop something right when it hits it will dissipate fairly quickly and won’t linger.

This time I wasn’t so lucky.  But let me back up a minute here.  I am one of the lucky (tongue in cheek) few who are ‘blessed’ with occasional menstrual-related migraines.  Now don’t worry, I’m not going to get too gory in here about female stuff.  I just know that if I do get them, they’re going to be female hormone triggered.  Oh yay. Years and years ago in college when they started happening, my doctor prescribed a very mild anti-depressant.  I remember thinking that was odd…I have migraines, I’m not depressed!  But they worked. 

As the years went by I tried seeing if there were ways to avoid these types of migraines without depending upon a prescription.  I read that there are certain triggers (foods, etc) that might play a part.  Or that perhaps getting more exercise would help.  Caffeine, red wine, cheeses, chocolate…and for me, perhaps curry?  Hmmm, as good as those noodles were, perhaps I should have avoided them that particular day.  And then I remembered…I had a very small wedge of Brie for breakfast that morning.  Oops.  Those two foods in one day were probably not a good idea, and now I was paying the price.

I had a meeting with my manager right after lunch.  The “aura” part of the migraine was starting to increase and my vision was slightly blurred.  I grabbed my laptop, walked into her office and said “hey, I’m not trying to be dramatic here but I’m having a migraine episode.  So if my eyes seem a little out of focus, that’s why.  My vision is a little blurry but this should pass in about 10 or 15 minutes.”  We forged ahead with our work.  Like I wrote earlier, this is a super busy time of year.

What happens with these migraines, you’re wondering?  Well, in my case the tiny bright spot of light slowly turns into an oval or circular ring of pulsating, vibrating colors.  It gets wider and wider until it leaves my field of vision.  Then the after effects set in – a pins and needles feeling in my upper shoulders and back of the neck, the same feeling like when your foot goes to sleep.  Then, a little nausea.  And nope, closing my eyes does not shut out the aura. 

Thankfully I’ve been through this a few times and know what to expect.  And knock on wood, it’s never happened when I’m driving.  Or playing hockey.  Usually a good night’s sleep will leave me refreshed and with all symptoms gone. 

But the next day, Friday, my neck and shoulders were still feeling prickly and horribly stiff.  Wow, this episode was a doozy.  But I smiled, knowing I had a massage booked for later that night.  Relief!

Last month I had a massage for the first time in years.  And I’m going to try to get one once a month and see if this can bring some relief to my neck and shoulders which seem to have the weight of the world on them.  Turns out that in the month since my first massage with J, she is now completely mobile.  She brings her massage table, blankets, music and everything to her clients’ houses!  So hmmmm, this was going to be an interesting change.

I told her about my migraine episode the day before, and we agreed we’d spend the whole hour just working on my back, shoulders, pecs and scalp, not the whole body.  She set up her table in my living room meanwhile and then went into my powder room to wait for me to disrobe and get under the blankets.  Before doing this I laughed and said you know, this is a little weird being naked in my living room.  She laughed as well and said lots of her clients make that same comment!  And it’s true!  I live in a townhouse so all bedrooms are upstairs.  I’m rarely naked down on the main level in the living room, dining room or kitchen (but when I am there is always a guy involved, heh).  OK…anyway back on track here.

J gave a wonderful massage.  At first I had a hard time relaxing because, well, here I was naked in my living room (under blankets) on a massage table which was a first for me…and I realized that I prefer getting massages where I’m not in my home.  For awhile my mind was racing as I pondered everything in the living room, even with my eyes closed in the face cradle…did I dust that coffee table?  Man, I need a new TV.  Should I get new pillows for the sofa?  And on and on.  Finally, I was able to just breathe deeply and enjoy the massage.  J explained that our blood vessels constrict during a migraine, so the massage is a great antidote to increase blood flow back to my scalp, neck and shoulders. I felt so incredibly relaxed when she was done…and refreshed…and taller! 

Now, have I ranted enough about how bad the weather is in June in the Seattle area?  We call it “June-uary” actually.  And we joke that summer does not officially start until July 5th.  Yep, AFTER the fireworks shows on the 4th, which often have to adjust for lower altitudes, otherwise the fireworks will get lost in the thick, grey clouds.  Kind of sad, right?  Well, this June has been pretty crappy, save for a few sunny days.

I woke up yesterday, showered and headed out to the salon for a haircut.  I remember driving into the city and thinking wow, those are some angry black clouds on the horizon.  It wasn’t raining, however.

Fast forward an hour and the skies opened up.  Torrential, pouring rains…and wind.  We got over an inch of rain in about two hours, so say the news folks.  Unbelievable!  I was so relieved I had parked in the garage under the building where my hair salon is.  I had no coat and no umbrella…I would have been soaked through, not to mention ruined my freshly styled hair!

I slipped my parking validation ticket into the machine at the garage exit.  The garage had closed so there was no one around, and there is a chain type of door that raises and lowers automatically just like a garage door.  It opened as I drove up and I remember thinking I should wait until it completely opened, as I’m not the best judge of space and distance.

But when the garage chain door finished opening, it immediately starting closing!  I had a brief moment of panic…do I go for it or just wait for it to close and ring the attendant?

I floored my car and squealed out of there.  Keep in mind there is a very sharp turn immediately coming out of the garage, so I lurched forward and prayed the chain door would not hit my car on the way out.  And immediately got blasted with the heavy rain pouring down.  Man, I am such a dumbass sometimes.  The car and I got out of the garage just fine.

And while we’re on the topic of dumbass, I got home and realized I’d left my master bedroom window open for some fresh air.  This was long before the rains came pounding through.  Now I had soaked wood blinds and a flooded window sill!  Damn!!  Water drops were hanging off the wood.  I immediately grabbed a towel and carefully started mopping up what I could.  Ugh.  Thank goodness for that small wet/dry vac I picked up when L and I started the popcorn ceiling scraping project.  Who in the hell leaves a south-facing window open on a day like that?  Oh wait…that was me.  After vacuuming up what water I could from the window sill it was full again after an hour.  Geez we got soaked.

I’m so ready for a pain-free and dry week ahead!

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