GIVE IT TO GOD

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBldegpMVDs)

My day was pretty boring, up ‘til about 5:58 PM.

It had been stormy all morning – with spotty internet service. I turned the internet off after it cut out the 2^nd time in half an hour’s time; and played a few hands of solitaire.

I lost every hand.

I was becoming very bored; very quickly.

Around noon, the rain had backed off enough, that I had driven into town to buy some eggs and quart-size Ziploc baggies (this could actually have waited, but I was bored and boredom can be depressing; I needed to get out of the house); after my purchases were made, I decided to come back home over Columbia Heights/Lone Oak/Pacific Way/Coal Creek back streets. That way added a few additional miles, but it also made my eyes happy to see the golden leaves piling up along roadsides … and colorful landscape ornamental trees bedazzled my eyes further, with their brilliant red, orange, burgundy-purple Fall vividness.

The last time I was that way, I was with Bob.

9 months before our lives would be forever changed.

It was snowing: Bob drove us home that way because he knew how much I love snow; and how falling snow always captivated his snowbaby.

That was the last time he would ever drive that route.

That was the last time he would see falling snow.

35 months ago.

A long time ago.

A short time ago.

A lot different now.

Now, I am driving solo lobo along the route that holds memories of US.

Back at home: wrapped in the fleece blanket Alyna and I made for him so long ago, I laughed aloud as I read the closing plot sequences of the book, I had been reading.

I put the book in the ‘read pile’, and selected another to begin reading.

Then, I decided to remove the dishes I had run through the dishwasher last night, before going to bed.

And felt my slippered foot get wet: I had stepped into a pretty good-sized water puddle.

WTHeck?

Glancing down at the floor, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

Then, what I was seeing scared me.

There was quite a bit of water on the floor.

I know my situation is not unique … but, it is frustrating. And an added complication to a life already complicated enough.

I could see that the water was pooling around the lower baseboard of the sink cabinet and dishwasher corner.

What to do?

I opened the sink cabinet to see if there was a water leakage problem there: it didn’t appear so. I pulled the garbage cans and bucket of dishwasher-soap-powder out and checked thoroughly.

It was dry as a bone: no problem there.

The dishwasher had to be the culprit.

My heart sank.

I didn’t know what to do.

Bob would know – I am not Bob.

Bob’s thought would be focused.

My thoughts were all over the place.

The water puddle was concerning.

It was not there earlier.

Why had it suddenly appeared?

Bob would have turned off the water.

I had no idea how to do that.

Do I need to turn the water off inside the house: if so, where?

Do I need to turn the water off outside: if so, where?

I was trying not to panic every time my eyes fell on that water puddle.

I finally bit the bullet – picked up the phone … and called candy.

I don’t like talking to candy: ever – about anything.

she is directly responsible for my husband’s death.

she is the Park Manager … I needed her to send someone to my house to check this situation out for me.

The phone rang.

My heart was racing.

I did not want to hear the voice that sent my husband to ER; a visit that eventually led to his death.

It galled me that I should need help from a woman that destroyed my life.

she answered.

I explained my situation.

A fella arrived a few minutes later.

I did have help trying to figure it out – but it is still a mystery.

Thank you, nameless stranger; who came over quickly to check things out, and turn off the water.

Inside.

Now, I know what to do.

I had him show me how he turned off the water – it is important to know, in case this happens again. I was really worried about the subfloor under the stone tiles.

The Good Samaritan seemed as confused as me.

I needed to see the floor under that bulky beast. My worry was that the stone tile may not be laid all the way back to the wall, and the subfloor was exposed; if that was the case, then the subfloor would be soaked. Neither Bob, nor I, had stood over the construction crew that had overhauled the entire kitchen; including laying the stone flooring in 2017.

I thought another thinker may be worth bringing into the situation.

I reached out to my friend, David.

My phone decided to be a putz.

We played phone-tag for a couple minutes.

The battery, I saw … was low; the phone refused to be our go-between-messenger.

The Good Samaritan eventually left.

The puddle had been sopped up … but the problem still remained.

Why had there been a puddle – and was there more standing water underneath the stubborn dishwasher?

I tried David one more time: my phone would not allow a call to go through, but I could send/recieve texts; so, I did. I wanted to know why the dishwasher was refusing to be pulled out – I know they can be: this one was not budging.

He said it may be screwed to the floor, or to the countertop.

The F-bomb was dropped again.

I am not ladylike … even though Bob called me his ‘Lady’ 😉

I had no idea where to check for screw points – but I was thankful for the information. If I had to call someone else in to take a look into the situation, that information could be passed on and checked into.

The puddle issue still troubled me.

I decided to try another avenue … I reached out to another friend, who I felt confident would be able to point me in the direction of who to look to for help.

She did; and could. But she also opted to come over herself and see what she could do 😊

Thank you, Shay!

She showed me how to unscrew the bulky beast – manhandled it half out of its cubbyhole; I was pretty impressed – and we were both relieved there was no standing water underneath.

The floor under the dishwasher was bone-dry.

(((THANK YOU, LORD!))))

But she was as mystified as me.

We chatted for a while, catching up on each other’s lives … and made tentative plans to have lunch in town sometime next week. She’s a good girl, I always enjoy time spent with her 😉

Hopefully the water-puddle-issue has resolved itself.

It’s a real mystery.

The puddle was there … but there appears to be no reason for the puddle.

I tend to overthink complex and mystifying situations.

But, tonight, I refuse to go down that path.

I am not going to overthink this situation: I will go to bed later on, and sleep soundly; confident that what could be done has been done … and the situation, as weird as it has been, is no longer an issue.

And, if there is “a further issue”, Shay will connect me with someone who can rectify it 😊

Either way, “it” is under control and there is no reason to overthink it.