Hovel

Did I say that I’m in funk? Did I mention the weather moved inside me— no forecast, just gray.

I just can’t seem to get it together to fix my plumbing. Same old thing. I come to the house, I feel overwhelmed, get distracted, then leave.

Gotta go back down there, I thought to myself. No choice. I assumed if I inserted myself in that hole again I would feel a little more comfortable. So I did. I needed to squirm into the next bay to get access to the problem. I had stuck a light down into the hole from above so that I could see the point to which to crawl. When I managed to get into the bay, I just lay there for a bit. Looked around.

With my friend Tony helping me out, we prepared to go down under. I borrowed a pair of coveralls, and we got lights and some tools in place.

Some water pipes broke. Again. Winter, apparently, holds a grudge. The break is in a cruel spot—just under the bathroom floor. Close enough to hear the drip, far enough to be unreachable by any civilized posture. I peer through the access opening and see what appears to be a metallic bowl of spaghetti assembled by a sleep-deprived raccoon. Pipes crossing pipes, angles defying reason. Nothing labeled. Nothing obvious. Just a cold, damp riddle.

Tomorrow is D-Day. I’m going down under!

I knew the cold weather was coming. Worried about yet another broken pipe fiasco, I decided to turn off the water at the street knowing I wouldn’t be around to check on things while in New Mexico for Christmas. I don’t like turning off the water that way. Keeping the pressure in the pipes is good for the system, I think. Less likely to break something? When I turn it off, then on again with the pressure surging in all at once, I cringe, imagining old joints giving way. It has happened before.

I thought it would be a good idea to replace my outdoor lamp with this one which features a daylight sensor that will turn the light off in the morning and back on at dusk. I wired it in and tested it and it works! I’m feeling fine. Problem #1: the lamp sits so close up under the eave that the light goes on even in the middle of the day if it isn’t a bright cloudless day. I’m going to try to put a piece of aluminum foil or something above the sensor to reflect more light onto it. Problem #2: neighbor from across the street shows up at my doorstep the next day and asks me to turn off the light at night because it shines right in her bedroom window and keeps her up at night! WTF! I laugh and explain incredulously that I just put it in! We talk and laugh about it for awhile. We come up with some options. How about I try to paint the outside of the globe to dim the light a bit? If that doesn’t work, I could hang something in front of it. She agrees. I rummage around and find some yellowish paint, take off the globe, paint half - the half facing her, let it dry, then remount the globe. I called her and told her it was up and to let me know if it works for her or not. She says she has plenty more paint in various colors if I need it. It looks kind of funny, but she hasn’t complained so far.

this house is my wound shame blocks the sharing of it no one can truly see it i can’t even bear to take it’s true measure

There’s something deeply satisfying about flipping a switch and having the room obey. Got some lights working. Wired a few myself. Not bad for a man whose previous electrical résumé consisted mostly of “successfully plugs things in.” Now I’m shopping for sconces like I have opinions about ambiance.