Flooded (with Blessings)

In our apartment, everything we do for the first time can bring about unexpected results.  For instance, Mark inspected the pipe below our bathroom sink this morning and the old thing (full of hair from prior tenants, yuck) started dripping and leaking water everywhere.  Now, I must remind you that in our bathroom this isn’t the worst thing, as there is a drain on the floor.  But still, to have a pipe that floods the bathroom is frustrating. 

Our apartment owner/landlord does live in the same building, which is wonderful, but we don’t speak enough Korean to convey the issue, not so wonderful.  Thankfully, Vicky wrote out the problem on a piece of paper so that I could give it to the owner when I saw her. 

Flood number 2 occurred a little later after Mark headed to work.  I put a load of laundry in the wash.  At the past apartment the water drained onto our bathroom floor, but at this one our washing machine is actually ‘kinda’ piped in.  As the washing machine started draining out the water I walked into the kitchen to find the floor ALL WET!  And, there is no drain in the kitchen floor so I was mopping up by hand.  I just laughed it off and went to work, to only have it drain out once again during the spin cycle. 

<---Bum Drain Water Everywhere!

This was too much for me and I headed off to find the apartment owner.  Thankfully, I know the word for water (moohl) and I know how to have a panicked look on my face and gesture ‘loudly’ that she needs to follow me! :o)  When she saw the water, she said lots to me in Korean, none of which I knew.  I did feel reassured (and relieved) that this was not normal. On her way out the door (I could only hope she was going to get some assistance) I gave her the note Vicky wrote out this morning concerning the bathroom sink pipe.  I pointed at the pipe and said “moohl” again and gestured to the floor.  There was still water on it, which was helpful for my illustration.

So she left and I made breakfast.  All of my efforts to communicate and mop up wet floors had worn me out. :o)

About 30 minutes later I hear a knock and found the other owner and his son there.  They come in to view the washing machine piping and thankfully I had not cleaned up the second spillage yet.  (It gave the situation a believability factor I think!)  The next part is where the BLESSINGS start.

All three were fussing around, helping me clean-up the water spill.  They were looking at the drain system, working out the different options.  I gathered that they weren’t able to resolve the issue with Drain-O and a clothes hanger.  Also, I was able to give him Vicky’s phone number, because if he needs more information he will HAVE TO talk to her.

Blessing #1: Someone will be here in 2 days to fix the washing machine draining problem!   

Blessing #2: In the process of the flooded kitchen, the sliding door runners were filled with water and by the time they were dried out with the rags, all of the grime that I needed to remove from them was cleaned out as well. (Bonus!)

Look how CLEAN they are!

Blessing #3: PLUS, he replaced my pipe in the bathroom … new and no hair! 

No more leaks and oh, so, shiny!

Blessing #4: AND (yes there is more) the lady owner left me a bucket and some rags she brought down to help clean up the mess.  This might seem like a small thing, but not to me when I am having to buy EVERYTHING right now to outfit the house.

I really needed a bucket!

I am amazed how well everything worked out. All of my floods got taken care of and the owners showed their efficiency and care for our home … which has completely FLOODED me with thankfulness!