The opportunity for the high-priced "24-hour" plumbers came and went. I called last night and the switchboard arranged to have the tech call first, then they would come out. When the tech called he hemmed and hawed and said that if he couldn't fix it the job would cost me twice because he'd have to come out again in the morning with the more experienced plumber who doesn't work the nights. So they aren't really a 24-hour plumber if the guy won't come out. I called back this morning and cancelled the Sunday morning service call - it costs a lot more to do it on the weekend and we'd decided to live with buckets of water for the time being and then went over to my ex's house so visiting house guest could take a shower. The opportunity to charge the high price evaporated when it got closer to the regular priced service being available.

We're negotiating the coming and going of family heirlooms now. Things went to a niece back east and there is still a sewing machine and table in the pickup for my daughter, sent by my sister. And I will in turn send things to my sister and son via this same pickup truck returning to their neck of the woods soon. Meanwhile, work was done in a New England state that involved the purchase of several tools and items that came in boxes with lots of Styrofoam. It apparently costs the moon to discard some of this up there so it was stuffed into five large trash bags and has been in the back of a pickup. This trash has now visited 17 states, with five more in view (because there is room in the truck and because it can go in regular trash at no extra charge in a rural western county), though we think I can borrow the ex's water bill and get into the trash and recycle facility of the next town over and discard it there. Convoluted but interesting. Especially since driving a pickup truck with a camper shell through far West Texas means you can be pulled over - "probable cause" for transporting undocumented aliens or drugs. It happened to me a while back. So - get the bagged stuff out of the truck, it looks less suspicious.

Fingers crossed it doesn't rain overnight or tomorrow morning, even though the garden could use it. The plumbing leak is under a downspout.