Ms Fixit

Well, I finally have dealt with the dripping faucet and the burnt electrical plug on the vacuum cleaner.

I no longer have to shrivel up with guilt every time I go to the bathroom and hear potable water drip, drip, dripping away, forever lost to the thirsty of the world. I belong to several environmental organizations, including Wellington Water Watchers. Although I did do a lot of water watching while pondering the hows, whys and wherefores of my dripping faucet, that's not quite what they had in mind. While my water was pointlessly vacating the aquafer beneath us, Nestle was (and still is) avidly bottling up this same water to sell back to us a few kilometers down the road. While I do not agree with this practice, at least they weren't just wasting it!

Actually, it's not quite true that I "fixed" the faucet. I did try, but was unable to figure out how to replace the washer, basically because I couldn't get to the washer. So, instead I did what I should've done in the first place - turned off the valve underneath the sink. No hot water in the bathroom sink, but I don't mind brushing my teeth in cold water. Really, it couldn't have been easier.

Fixing the vacuum cleaner plug was more time consuming, but pretty straight forward. I bought a new plug at the hardware store, cut off the burnt ends of the wire, sliced away the insulating plastic cover exposing the copper wire(s). Then I had to carefully twist one wire around one screw and the other around the other screw, making sure there was no contact between them. And, you know what? It worked. I finishd vacuuming the living room. Although I could think of more exciting ways to reward myself for the exchange.

This was hardly an inspired blog - sorry to all one of you out there that may or may not be reading this.