One of these days…

These are the things homeownership is now forcing us to deal with:

• Forget a possible simple fix for the heater-thingy in the basement. We’re talking replacement now. Just a little rewiring was likely to coast a grand, and there was no guarantee we could even start the boiler after that was done. So it looks like we have to pony up the cash and get us a system that wasn’t initially designed to burst into flames.
• Now the oven is in on it. That’s right, our oven stopped working. I don’t even know how that happens. It’s the most basic model you can get with built-in ignition. You just open up a pipe o’ gas and add a spark – how does that break? I could possibly understand it if the burners weren’t working… but just the oven? Dammit, I just want to cook the Trader Joe’s pizza already…
• And of course the basement is still causing problems. I was so excited when cleaning the gutters seemed to stop the flooding. And then we really cleaned up down there, got rid of a lot of crap, installed a deep freezer, and generally made it less creepy. But that just seemed to encourage the water. Now it’s coming in from the other side and generally disguising its advances. The plumber said they could also install a sump pump for around $1100, but I say screw that – I’ve got a sledgehammer, plenty o’ liquor, and even more frustration. A concrete floor is no match.

Amazingly, this wouldn’t be so bad if work weren’t becoming truly stressful for the first time in my 3 and a half year tenure. The year end audit isn’t quite as bad this year, but when combined with being brought in as a major part of some litigation (nothing confidential here – you can read about it on our website) it really starts to drag. I’ve suddenly been getting headaches on a regular basis from all the tension in my body. It’s gotten so bad some days that I just have to shut down for an hour or so to cope.

Thankfully Mark provided me with a “copy” of Justice League Whatever that has given me the ability to prance around as a sexy, yet annoying magician who can turn robots into bunnies for a large Martian to smash with cars. Now that’s what I call stress relief…