12-hour Slice of Life

12:01 pm:  Take phone call from other driver's insurance company, which FINALLY accepts liability for accident. Agent tells me I need to fax a copy of Paula's title so they can process claim.

12:15 pm: Call my insurance agent and put claim on hold, hoping this guy's insurance really is going to come through.

12:35:  Discover Paula's title is not in its place in the safe.

12:45: Take call from niece about tonight's celebration of her mother's (my sister's) birthday. Agree to make soup to serve everyone before we go to play. Realize we have one extra ticket. Offer ticket to my friend D, who's been longing for an adventure.

1:20 pm:  Give up on finding title. Go to DMV to request duplicate.

1:50 pm:  Fax notorized copy of duplicate title request to insurance company.

2:00 pm: Dash through grocery store for soup supplies.

2:30 pm:  Pick up Mom and Dad's dog, Tuffie, and take her to vet. (It's  too cold outside for Mom & Dad to be out.) Put chicken in their oven to bake.

3:45 pm:  Return Tuffie to Mom and Dad. Pick up baked chicken.

4:00 pm: Arrive home. Whip up double batch of chicken chili and a batch of cornbread muffins. Shower and dress while food cooks. Screech off to Deb's house, leaving cell phone at home.

5:15 pm: Arrive at Deb's house. Wish her happy birthday. Snarf down half a bowl of chili and dash off to pick up D. Notice I don't have enough gas in car to make trip downtown and back.

5:35 pm: Realize I forgot to serve cornbread muffins. They're still in their bag on counter. (sigh)

5:45 pm: Stop at home to retrieve cell phone. Stick phone in pocket and rush off to get gasoline.

6:15 pm:  Arrive at D's house. She greets me at door with "Oh, no. You didn't get my message." She has been attacked by stomach trouble and can't go after all.  Disappointment all around.

6:55 pm:  Arrive at theater. Slide into seat 5.8 seconds before curtain goes up. Struggle to remain awake during a musical version of The Christmas Story movie. Very cute.

9:45 pm:  Arrive home. Wash face and begin preparing for work awaiting me.  Think about how cold it is. Flash on a memory of hooking up hose a week or so ago to wash out trash can. Fail to find memory of unhooking hose.

9:46 pm: Trudge outside with flashlight. Discover hose frozen to outside faucet, icicles hanging all around. 

9:47 pm: Trudge inside for hair dryer, extension cord, and slip-lock pliers. 

9:50 pm: Blow dry the heck out of hose bib. Pray. Hard.

10:10 pm: Manage to twist hose off faucet, using slip-lock pliers. Faucet handle will not budge. Continue heating faucet with hair dryer.

10:25 pm:  Give up on heating faucet. Call brother in panic, hoping he knows magic answer. Hear brother confirm there is no magic answer. 

10:30 pm: Trace water lines through unfinished part of basement, looking for supply line to faucet. Find supply line, which runs into area with finished ceiling (very bad situation).

10:45 pm: Go back to heating faucet with hair dryer. 

10:55 pm: Give up on heating faucet with hair dryer.

11:00 pm: Begin search for drywall saw to cut into finished ceiling to warm pipe from inside. 

11:05 pm: Hear sudden sound of water running through plumbing above my head. Rush outside to discover faucet running full blast (the ice dam inside the pipe must have thawed somewhat through use of hair dryer. Force of water eventually broke through). 

11:08 pm: Turn off faucet. Disconnect hair dryer. Wind up extension cords. Return emergency flashlight to designated emergency location.

11:15 pm:  Remove pearls, tights, skirt, and cardigan. (Yes, indeed. I'd been outside trying to thaw the faucet wearing a skirt and pearls.)  Slip into comfy pjs. Settle into bed with laptop and 36 work emails to answer before sleep.

12:01 am: Give up at 16th email. Put laptop on floor beside bed and crash.