Brrrr

Yeah, I know, trite title, but indeed it WAS cold here yesterday and today. I delayed going out in it as long as I could, but my laundry was at home, unwashed, and I was not, so I eventually had to motivate. A friend came and fetched me yesterday, and, when we got back to his place, he eventually realized that the hot water pipes in both the kitchen sink and the upstairs bathroom sink had frozen. He fussed around with them off and on for awhile--taking time out to light a fire for me, watch the football game, and order a pizza--and, when things weren't really improving, finally going out around 11 pm to get a hairdryer. I went to sleep around 11:30, I think. When I awoke this morning, he had managed to get the kitchen pipe thawed out before stumbling to bed around 2, but the bathroom remained frozen. Between filling the hot tub (the same hot water pipe feeds the sink, he thinks), aiming a hairdryer at the pipe, and heating the hall closet behind the sink with a space heater--all starting around 8:00 this morning--he eventually had running water by about 3:00 this afternoon. It does not appear that any pipes actually broke, which is a very good thing. It does appear that when the previous owners put in the big hot tub/jacuzzi thing in the upstairs bathroom they did not bother to insulate that room very much or very well. The willingness of people to be penny wise and pound foolish constantly amazes me.

In other news, apparently I'm going to get to see Chuck's son again, which pleases me, even though it means continuing to deal with Chuck. How did I find this out? Because Chuck sent me a snotty email earlier this week questioning my desire to see his son--I hadn't asked to do so, even though the Christmas visit went just fine, so, really, he was sitting there wondering whether I really wanted to see his son, blah, blah, blah. I pointed out that I had no way of knowing that the ban had been lifted and that I thought the Christmas visit was a one-time exception, but that I would be quite pleased to see his son. I also noted that his son was welcome to call or email me any time, if he wondered how I was.

Of course, Chuck also had to note that seeing me was not really his top priority. Yes, Chuck, you've made that abundantly clear; I'm also not excited about seeing you, but I manage to restrain myself and not continue to tell you that. Similarly, he manages to mention his current girlfriend quite frequently. I don't provide any details about my own life, however, not least because even a casual mention of my friend has provoked outrageous outbursts, but also because I know that, on some level, NOT knowing drives him even crazier (yes, I know that's bad of me, and I feel properly guilty about it, insofar as I feel guilt about anything). He apparently couldn't get his car started yesterday, which meant he couldn't watch the game with his son. Why couldn't his ex-wife bring his son into the city, you ask? That would be my question, too, but don't expect an answer; because, as I've documented elsewhere, the mother isn't someone who's likely to make gestures like that. According to today's email, Chuck was hoping the girlfriend gets back into town so she can take him to get a new battery, and didn't he just get one three years ago? I refrained from asking whether she'd pay for it, the way I likely did.

I really wish I could snap my fingers and be divorced. What I'd like even better is to be divorced and to have the money he owes me, in one lump sum.