I would also like to nominate myself for a Wife of the Year Award

mrsskiz · December 2013

Like seriously. I crawled under my house yesterday (3 foot crawl space with dirt floor) after working all day to remove and replace a heat tape on our water lines that are close to the ground. This section of piping has had freezing/bursting problems in the past, but the plumber that came out years ago said that if we ever have a water main break, the register and shut off valve need to be where they are for easier access. This is in the north facing wall of my house where we get the harshest wind. What is more fun that convincing your big brother to come out in sub-zero temperatures to replace a broken pipe under your house that is flooded with freezing water? We have insulated the panel door and closed off the vents that keep it dry during the summer. We also plug in a heat tape for added security. Nothing is worse that waking up in the morning before work and realize as you attempt to brush your teeth that there is no water.

So, DH suggested that we change the heat tape out because its been the same tape for 3 years now. Better to change it out now, just in case, than risk it not working in the dead of winter. Ok, thats a good plan, but then life happened and we totally forgot about it until this snow hit on Sunday. By now we realize that we arent going to get anymore 50+ degree weather and this needs to be done NOW, before the temps drop into the teens. DH doesnt get home until 5pm, when its already dark out and we cant wait until the weekend because of the crap weather they are expecting Saturday. I am definatly the handyman of our relationship. I handle all the broken things, power tools, projects, aka "The Man Jobs", so it was best for me to do this anyway. Plus, all of you know what size my husband is, not small, so even though he has helped my brother every time hes been under the house for whatever, its way easier for me to do it.

So, I crawl under the house, in the dirt/damp mud, in my expensive snowboarding pants (didnt have coveralls) and snow boots (all clunky and awkward) and unwrap the entire register area and about 3 feet of pipe. Only to realize that the heat tape has a temperature gauge on it and only kicks on when the pipe gets to 10-15 degrees above possible freezing temperature. Its not on all the time like we thought. So our worries of it burning out is pretty obsolite at this point. Of course this is after I unwrap the great job my brother did wrapping it in the first place. WTF. Now I have to rewrap it first with that nasty yellow insulation that is super easy to rip apart, especially when your fingers are freezing. Then wrap it with the plastic included in the kit to keep it dry, then again with electrical tape that evidentally DOES NOT LIKE THE COLD!!!, so then I had to wrap it again with duct tape.

Of course the neighbors are outside catching quite the show while Im doing this. Then as I am finishing up, DH rolls up from work and asks if I need help. Nope, thanks hun. I got it. Then he asks where our totally capable child is, who agreed to be my gopher outside if I needed anything. Well hun, when I told him what I needed help with, he decided that he would rather hibernate on the shitter with my kindle building us a house on MineCraft for over an hour.

Good thing DH showed up with a magnum bottle of wine.