Life Situations

Sometimes, life rears up and bites you in the arse. This has been one of those weeks.

We are renting a house and attempting to make lemonade out of lemons. Here's some of the sweet stuff:
* see the stars clearly
* close to the beach
* the dogs love the beach
* the sunrises
* the sunsets (when we can get home in time to see them)
* the friendly people we meet
* not a construction zone
* clean

And the tart:
* Alaskan tundra first floor, Arizona desert second floor
* long commute
* uninsulated bathroom
* cold toilet if temperature outside drops below 30
* cold air rushing through floorboards
* frozen drain on the shower (only once, the week before thanksgiving)
* lack of pizza delivery
* cost of propane to heat the house

This past Monday, the temperature dropped drastically. It was a high of 18, without accounting for windchill. This did not bode well for our little rental cottage. We went to work and when we got home, the pipes had frozen, including the big one in the house. Surprising since the thermostat had been set to 55. It seems there was a rather large gap where the feeder pipe comes into the house. The pipes under the house froze because the outlet the coil warmers were plugged into had tripped.

Understandably, the landlord is upset and in a panic. He is trying to do everything in his power to make the cottage livable. He did his best to insulate, but it's an old house and on stilts. You can only do so much. We're negotiating options, but it has been very tense. Baby is due in three weeks. The house is not finished. Our neighbors have been wonderful letting us sleep on their couch. They even offered to let us stay with them until the house is finished (est 6-8 weeks.) That presents its own problems. And I don't feel comfortable burdening them with a newborn. We're worried about the dogs. They've been staying in the unfinished house (it's kind of heated at the moment as the plumbers test the radiant heating.) It means we don't get quality time with Indigo and Azure and they miss us (feeling is mutual.)

Ugh. It's been an ordeal and I can't even articulate how I am dealing. Hubby feels the same way. He's been wonderful handling all the rental house issues (talking with the landlord is not easy) and keeping things moving with our own home. I'm just trying to stay sane and comfortable. I'm not shirking my duties, but Baby's health is a priority with only 3 weeks left.

I just want to be home.