Plumbing
I’m writing today because I’m not sure what time we’ll get in tomorrow. It’s been snowing here and there and I get a little nervous in those conditions. I’ll feel better once we’re passed St. George, but then it will just be fighting traffic from Vegas to LA. You know how I am before a trip, so I’ve been praying for that, and for you, and for aunt Stella. She’s been pretty sick and had to go to the ER on Sunday. In a weird way I’m grateful for times when I have stuff to pray for, it keeps me humble, keeps me close to Father in Heaven. On the other hand, I wish I could always be close to Him in prayer and not have to be compelled to do it. Maybe that’s the whole reason for trials and challenges.
I’m sorry I missed your last texts last night, I was dealing with a super clogged toilet, which I’ll tell you about in the next paragraph. The part where you said yo feel like you’re starting over again. The first thing about that is, you’ll get over that feeling very quickly this time. Give it a week or so and you’ll be feeling of being a veteran will start coming back. It will start by everything feeling new and interesting again. I think the because of the challenges your last comp gave you you’re going to be a lot further ahead than you may have been if you had been with a real senior comp who did everything for you. The second thing that these changes do is the really prepare you for real life. Life is all about change, and I think the mission really prepares you for those changes. Try to embrace change and be comfortable with it. It will be an advantage to you on your mission and through life. Also, as annoying as your comp may turn out to be, give him a chance. Look for his good qualities. This isn’t for his benefit but for yours. It’s way too easy to fixate on negative things, you know me well enough to know what I mean. Focus on negativity makes life tough. It’s worth finding the positive to make your life easier.
Grandma took mom and I, uncle Tim and aunt Lithia, uncle Steve and Becky, and uncle David to dinner tonight at Olive Garden. Grandpa and aunt Laurie we sick. It wouldn’t be Christmas if someone didn’t claim to be sick. We talked about movies and stuff. There’s literally no subject obscure enough that uncle Tim can’t bring byu into the conversation. Uncle David was on a rant about Tyler’s lazeyness, wow, a new benchmark of irony. Otherwise, today was pretty slow. I did a little work, worked on my hobbies a little, cleaned the basement with Joey and Ben. Seems like most of this vacation was spent cleaning our bathroom. Last week for mom, and last night trying to clear the toilet.
Ahh…the toilet. We’ve been pretty lucky with this house, it seems to have good plumbing. I’m super grateful for that because it’s well known that I have a deep hatred for plumbing. So yesterday mom confessed that she had plugged the toilet, with not a small implication that it had to have been somehow my fault. Now sometimes girls have issues they deal with that may cause massive toilet clogs, though your mom denies any such blockage. She had added soap to the mess, so when I took over there were suds foaming over the sides. I worked on pumping that thing 30 pumps at a time over-and-over again. I tried that for about half an hour before getting enraged with frustration. It was snowing pretty good by then but I decided to go to Home Depot to find a better plunger. It was super slick on the roads but it felt worth it. I got this super plunger called the Johnny Jolter, I’m not making that up. It looks like a stumpy super soaker with a giant nozzle. It has two handles. On for pressing it into the toilet hole and one to plunge water with. To get a good seal, you had to press down hard with one hand and plunge with the other even harder. Whatever was down there wasn’t budging and it was frustrating me even more. I googled how to clear a toilet and one suggestion was to poor in hot water. I did that and kept trying and kept getting more frustrated. Finally I decided to go back into the storm and get an auger. I’m not going to pretend that hadn’t thought about getting an auger the first time, but I HATE them. Know why? Because instead of sending the blockage harmlessly down the drain this thing is a big long spring that you twist through the drain pipes. Usually, when it breaks through the poop plug part of it goes down the drain and part of it comes back, which is guaranteed to send me into dry heaves, or worse. So off I went through the storm knowing that this would be the best resolution. I’m not going to pretend that I wasn’t irrationally frustrated with your mom. I got back and unwrapped that disgusting yet brand new auger. On one last desperate attempt to not do that, I grabbed the plunger one more time. The thing barely touched the water when the drain gurgled. One soft plunge later the drain was clear. I’m not sure if it was the hot water, the cursing, or the silent prayers that got it down, but oh how I hate plumbing.
We’re watching the new season of Lost In Space right now. Mom and I are anyway. Sorry if that gives you another bolt of home sickness.
Well kid, I love you, make the most of this new start and learn all you can. Just remember it’s about those you are teaching more than about you. And in turn you will be blessed.
Pops
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