The day my soaking turned to gushing

Opinion

Discussion

August 31, 2010

THE VIEW FROM HERE

By JIM HARDIN CNHI The Zope Gazette Tue Aug 31, 2010, 03:16 PM CDT

Rockwall County — I got one of those dreaded telephone calls while away from home on a recent Saturday night.

The good news is that the call had nothing to do with car wrecks or emergency rooms.

But the news was bad enough.

“Jim, you have a very bad water leak at home,” my neighbor told me.

You know it’s bad when the caller uses “gushing” when describing your water problem. She said water was “gushing” out of my front yard onto the street. It was flowing down the driveway and out of the yard itself.

I knew immediately that it wasn’t a broken pipe or anything major. I knew right away that I had left my soaker hose on. And it soaked for 11 or 12 hours.

My neighbors, thinking that I had a major water line break, had turned the water off at the meter. After talking to me, they turned the water off at the outside hydrant, then turned the water back on at the meter.

Problem solved. Maybe not. I have a feeling there will be another problem when I open the next edition of my water bill.

So, where am I going with this? Sometimes — like now — I don’t know.

But I do know that I’ve given wife Becky a new question for her list. Any time I come inside after doing some outside work, she’s required to ask me a series of questions: Did you turn off the lawn mower? Did you shake all the grass off your shoes? Did you lower the garage door? Did you close your car doors? Did you lock the car? And now — did you turn the water off?

Actually, Becky doesn’t fire all those questions at me. But she gently checks on me sometimes. She has some very good reasons to check on me. You see, there’s some history behind every question listed above. Some of you know the stories, but what’s important today is that you know the latest historic event — the day my soaking turned to gushing.

Out of curiosity, I called the City of Royse City’s water department to find out if there was a one-time forgiveness policy for people like me who left water turned on for a long period of time — like 11 or 12 hours.

Yes, I actually called the city and talked to Deanna. I asked if the water department had such a policy.

Deanna has a nice laugh.

She laughed, then said, “Unfortunately, no, we don‘t.”

Then, she laughed again.

I could tell Deanna was a highly trained professional. She answered every question appropriately and her laughter didn’t reach the point that it irritated me, the customer.

“Do other people do things like this?” I asked of my water accident.

“From time to time, yes,” she responded.

“Do some young people do it or is it just older people,” I asked.

Her answer to this question is really what convinced me that she is highly trained. She gave me the answer I wanted to hear.

“Some of both,” Deanna answered.

This is probably going to be a two-part column. I don’t believe that’s ever happened before. Installment No. 2 will be easy steps on how to get involved.

I’m so happy we have neighbors who cared enough to get involved and even called me to report the problem. We even had two neighbors to call. Our across-the-street neighbor also called to express her concern.

But how many people passed our house that day and saw the water gushing into the street and did absolutely nothing?

Oh well, that’s another story for another day.

Text Only

Opinion

A look at this weekend's opening movies
BIG MIRACLE

Marine mammals actually brought about a Cold War thaw.

February 4, 2012
It’s a safe world for judges out there, or is it?
In a recent survey performed by AOL Jobs using statistics provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job of judge was rated one of the best “lifestyle jobs”

February 3, 2012
Kindness still goes long way
Sometimes, a kind gesture or an encouraging word will come out of nowhere and at a time when you least expect it.
How do I know that?

February 2, 2012
As weird as they wanna be
Sometimes, the bizarre aspects of the legal world stand out. There are the outrageous lawsuits, like the convicted drunk driver who sues the family of the motorist he killed or the burglar suing the business he was trying to rob when he hurt himself on their premises. Then there are the litigants themselves, who often seem like refugees from a bad TV reality show. Other times, however, you have to dig a little deeper into a police report, an indictment, or a civil suit to arrive at the truly weird kernel at the heart of the matter. This week, I’d like to bring you my own little roundup of the legally weird.

January 30, 2012 1 Photo
Looking at this weekend's movies
MAN ON A LEDGE

Precariously perched on the ledge of the 22nd floor of New York City’s Roosevelt Hotel, ex-cop and fugitive Nick Cassidy (“Avatar” star Sam Worthington) seems poised to jump. But Nick reveals to NYPD negotiator Lydia Anderson (Elizabeth Banks) that he does not intend to commit suicide. Instead, he says that he will remain on the ledge to prove that he is innocent of the crime for which he received a 25-year sentence.

January 28, 2012
Turning over a new leaf to be kinder, gentler
I want to share with you today about a new leaf that I’ve turned over. I promise to try to be kinder and gentler as often as possible.

January 26, 2012
Bored with the movies? Go to the courthouse instead
Like many Americans, I had more than my fill of three things this holiday season: turkey, egg nog, and movies. Not just the big, splashy blockbusters, mind you, like “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol,” but also those smaller art-house films that become critical darlings and Oscar favorites. But now, just as I resign myself to the filmgoer’s malaise that accompanies the string of movies released early in the year that won’t light up the box office or garner golden statuettes, I’ve realized that there is an endless source of almost cinematic entertainment waiting for me down at the courthouse. So forget your local multiplex

January 21, 2012
To wife Becky: I will be here

It’s no secret that wife Becky and I speak in clichés.

Our forever favorite is, “The best is yet to come.”

January 19, 2012
President Obama’s judicial nominees: A question of qualifications
One of the many advantages that being president confers is the opportunity to shape the judiciary—potentially for decades to come—through lifetime appointments to the federal bench.

January 16, 2012 1 Photo
A look at this weekend's opening movies
JOYFUL NOISE

Blame “American Idol” and its popular offshoots and, of course, “Glee” for sparking the return of the big screen musical.

January 14, 2012
More Opinion Headlines

Opinion

Search Results

Discussion

The day my soaking turned to gushing

THE VIEW FROM HERE

Will you vote in the County elections?

Site Map

Contact Us