Busted Pipe, Flooded Driveway & Dining Room!

OMG! What a day it was! The coldest in our area that day made my day in a disbelief mood! That Tuesday afternoon, while I was preparing our dinner, at about 3:00 o'clock, I was aghast and/or caught unaware. I was washing and draining the thawed pork scallopini cutlets, drying them and about to put them on a baking tray while the oven was pre-heated to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, when I heard knocking at our front door. You know, folks and friends, I don't usually open the main door unless I expect a guest or a visitor coming. But that day I decided to do it. Walking through our formal dining room, what a surprise! Unbelievably real and true! Our (formal) dining room was flooded! I had to go around from our kitchen, passing through our family room and to the foyer to open the front door. It was our neighbor Nino! He broke the bad news---water flooding our driveway and telling me we have, undoubtedly, busted water pipe/s. I told him to come in and he asked me where's the main water cut off valve/s. He said theirs is in their garage. So, we went to the garage, tried to find where it is. But, before that, I told him what I was doing. I did turn off the oven and then I opened our garage. I remembered quickly, the water cut off valve isn't there. it's inside our house, by that small room over the stairs where we hang our coats, jackets, etc. Ah, there it was! Nino immediately shut it off, and even the one for the back. But he suggested that we leave the main source of water on so we have water in the house. I thanked him for his help. My, I don't know what to do, had he not showed up. I would have been in a total awe and shock! Thank God, that He sent Nino to my rescue! He told me he was outside his house, waiting for the school bus for his children to arrive from school. That's when he saw our flooded driveway! I briefly explained to him what I was doing in our kitchen, my so-called workshop. He told me to call a plumber ASAP. Since he's a handyman, I asked him if he can do it. He answered he can but he's also doing something in his house. He may be available next week, he said. He then left because he's waiting for his children from school.

Well, my immediate concern, that moment, was to contain the water in our dining room. I looked for a mop but I couldn't find one. So I went upstairs and grabbed some towels in our closet. And I took also that pail in our bath/restroom. Yes, those were the ones I used...Hay, it was tiresome, besides the water was so cold even if I used plastic gloves! I used paper towels, too. I felt that I was enervated already, after two-three hours of work in our dining room, kitchen, and foyer...evacuating stuff, etc. I felt so helpless! But, I tried to do what I could do to our house. Back pain kept growing...I couldn't do heavy lifting...I couldn't bend my back that low or I have had difficulty bending! God, help me! It was tough for me, that time, to do something to prevent stuff from getting more damage, etc. I know, I have had to help myself because I'm the one to suffer more pain, etc. I tried not to stress out.

After I've composed myself, and water in the dining room, kitchen, and foyer was somewhat contained, I did start cooking, baking those pork scallopini cutlets.

When Freny called that she's done with school-work, that she was coming home, I told her the news that she never expected to hear. She said that we'd be calling our home insurance company. That's what she did when she and her sister Rose, my sis-in-law, arrived. Then they continued the work I left off. With my sanity or presence of mind, I was able to take a couple of photos of concerned water-damaged areas, mess or clutter, etc.

Quite frankly, the unexpected event in my house reminds me of our military moving in/out, with regards to mess/clutter in our house, specifically in the first/lower level. Well, that's life---expect the unexpected, sometimes.

  Photos (c) 2013 by Chris A. Quilpa

There, my folks and friends, you see what happened to some parts of my house on Tuesday, the coldest day we had in our area. That day, Tuesday, 01.07.14, the weather was bone-chilling and temp was below freezing. If I'm not mistaken, the temp was between 15-20 degrees Fahrenheit that day. That's why there was this "arctic blast" or arctic freeze" that the media were talking about.

Anyway, this is all for now. Thanks, everyone, for reading/visiting my blog. Part 2 of this event will get posted in the near future. So, my dear folks and friends, stand by or stay tuned.

Take care, everyone, and Have a wonderful day/night! May God bless US always!-chris a. quilpa, 01.13.14