Hot Water

I am well aware in the world's Big Picture, I live pretty high on the hog. In the world, one out of five people does not have access to fresh drinking water. 15 percent of the world's population does not have running water. 42 percent do not have flushing toilets.

So it its with great humility that I say I am a little irritated that we had to buy a new water heater this week.

It was just one of those things. There was a puddle underneath our old heater and it was only a matter of time. Better to replace it on our schedule than to have a basement full of burst water heater water. But, I mean, what a dull way to spend money out of the vacation fund.

If the TV exploded or something, we could get a fun, new HD TV and gather the friends and loved ones around to say, "Look at our groovy new TV," but I have to really love you a lot to let you into my stuff-filled basement. In fact, if I do love you a lot, I probably want to spare you the dangerous quest through the piles of gift bags, holiday decorations, clothes I'm sure will fit again, clothes too small for Colin but too big for D, Brent's sound equipment, photo albums, CD we don't listen to any more, Shelby storage, Jeremy storage and piles of laundry I just never catch up on. We are not going to go down to the basement to "Oooh" and "Ahhhh" over my new water heater.

It is nice, though.

It's bigger. Insulated better, I guess.

Okay. Just this once. Follow me. Don't hit your head and don't trip on that pile of suitcases.

Shiny, huh?