Job Security

Not that there's ever a shortage of things to do around here, but there's nothing like creating more work for yourself.

Two examples, if I may.

1. The kids have all been battling runny noses and coughs for the past couple weeks and the humidifier has been traveling from room to room. The other morning I turned it off in Audrey's room and thought, "I really ought to take it out of here." At the time, however, I was holding Sterling and there was no way I could also pick up the humidifier. By the time I walked down the hall, I had already forgotten about it. An hour or so later I heard an anguished little "Oh no!" from Dallin and I knew immediately what had happened. He had knocked over the humidifier while trying to climb up on the stool it was sitting on. Water everywhere.

After soaking up the water as best I could with towels, Melvin put a fan in there to help dry out the carpet. Pretty soon that got knocked over too, blades still rotating. One blade broke off and was then chopped to pieces by the other blades before I could turn off the fan. Fun, huh? Thankfully no injuries were sustained.




2. We're trying to plant an avocado tree. After some research about where and how, we selected a spot in the yard that we thought would be good. Mel and his little helpers went to work digging a hole (see above photo). Turns out there was a sprinkler pipe in that exact spot (more than a foot down) and Mel broke it with the shovel.

So the next afternoon was spent repairing the pipe. Today we made sure the pipe was fixed and Mel began digging another hole. Maybe tomorrow the tree will actually get in the ground. And in a few years, we can make a lot of guacamole. More work.