Headphones On

Monday night after the drippy wall incident with the downstairs neighbor I was assured by the maintenance guy (Leo) that all was well. Tuesday was fairly uneventful. My electricity was working. The water was fine. I managed one night of peace while I took care of a few eBay auctions, read a book, and generally went about my life. I drifted off for a peaceful slumber around midnight thirty.

At 7 am this morning, someone was ringing my doorbell. Over and over they were ringing my doorbell. I crawled out of bed, slightly straightened my mussed up hair and went to the lil box by the door that allows me to communicate with the front gate:

me: Who is it?
them: Leo
me: Can I help you?
them: It's Leo.
me: Right, Can I help you?
them: It's Leo.
me: AARG

I buzz him upstairs and within a minute he's knocking on my door. I try to wipe the sleep out of my eyes as I open the door.

me: um, good morning?
Leo: you called me?
me: um... (looking down at pajamas) no?
Leo: yes you called me
me: no, i was asleep (again looking down at pajamas)
Leo: The ceiling is falling in your dining room?
me: it is? I don't think so. I know I'm a heavy sleeper but I'm pretty sure that would have woken me up.
(I turn around and walk towards the dining room, Leo following)
me: see, perfectly normal dining room
Leo: then it's the kitchen sink.
me: I don't think so
(I point him towards kitchen. He goes in, looks around and comes back out.)
Leo: No water.
me: nope
Leo: Ok, I go downstairs.
me: Good for you. (I shut the door behind him.)

I figure I'm up already no point in going back to sleep until my alarm goes off in 10 minutes. I check my email, read the morning news, turn NPR on the radio... ya know the normal morning routine. I walk into the bathroom to brush my teeth and turn on the shower. I turn the faucet. First a dribble comes out, then nothing. I turn the handles in the bath as if I am expecting anything different. No water. I grumble. I look in the mirror at my much mussed up hair (I toss and turn you see). I begin to ponder my options. I have too much work to call in sick but I can't go to work like this. I go to the fridge and pull out my Brita. I touch the cold water in fear. I ponder my options again really wondering whether I have the guts to do this. I step into the shower and pour the water over my head. There, showered. I get dressed and look around outside for Leo. He is nowhere to be found, his ugly minivan isn't parked anywhere near. I pull out my cell phone and call him.

Leo: yes
me: Hi, this is Liz I live at ##### N Noname St. Did you just shut off my water?
Leo: yes
me: Um. Why?
Leo: there is water falling from the ceiling. What you mean why?
me: There isn't water falling from MY ceiling.
Leo: Oh, you upstairs. Yes, I shut off the water. Your neighbor has water and ceiling falling.
me: Um, do you think you should have informed me of this or at least given me 5 minutes to brush my teeth?
Leo: WATER IS FALLING FROM THE CEILING! THERE IS A BURST PIPE!
me: Um, right. So do you think that if YOU lived in this apartment you would have liked your water turned off without anyone telling you?
Leo: I HAD TO TURN OFF WATER.
me: (sigh) I understand that but do you think you should have TOLD ME FIRST?
Leo: oh yes sorry
me: ok great, now... how long until the water is back on?
Leo: I AM NOT REPAIR MAN.
me: can you give me an estimate of how long?
Leo: hours, days, weeks i dunno
me: WEEKS?!
Leo: i dunno. i am not repair man.
me: ok, fine. can you please CALL ME when you know how long it will be so that i can figure out if i need to make alternate living arrangements?
Leo: call you?
me: yes, call me when you know something. at this number i am calling you from.
Leo: yes i will call.
me: great. bye

So I stumble to the train, stumble to work (there is much stumbling when I have not showered to actually wake me up) and go about my day. I have quite a big project on my desk so next thing I know it's mid-afternoon. It occurs to me as I am taking a break for the first time all day that this asshole hasn't called me. I forget trying to call him and call the building management. After being put on hold for quite awhile I get the building manager who informs me that the situation has been remedied and I should have water again. He apologizes again for the inconvenience. I think about rushing into a huge diatribe about how the asshole who works for him is a complete asshole but I decide to wait and pen a letter once my anger has worn off. End of story. Or is it? Every single day it appears something else majorly goes wrong in my apartment so I'd be a fool to think this is the end.