Adventures in the Snow

Day 447 of captivity..............oh , no, excuse me, it is only day 4 but it seems like 400. I have had a very content attitude about being snowed in until last night and I nearly snapped. It has been snowing again today. But, I have been able to get a lot of things done, like laundry.
On Tuesday night, we smelled a strong natural gas smell coming from our bedroom/bathroom. We went to bed, like idiots. We had our carbon monoxide detector in there and it showed nothing. At 8:00 a.m. Wednesday morning, I called the gas company. The nice lady asked me several question and needed my verbal agreement that we would leave the house promptly and wait on the man to come check on the problem. I told her that we would leave, BUT I had a two year old, a five year old and my husband had taken my car to work. She told me we HAD to get out of the house. I was thinking "well, we slept in it all night." She had me terrified. She gave me a list of instruction before we got off the phone. They all had to do with causing a spark that would blow the house up. I calmly called Steve and then put my coat on over my robe. I put on boots too. I then put Sarah Kate's warm sleeper OVER her tutu and ballet slippers. Put boots on her. Emily was wearing her pink robe, a coat and boots. I put hats on the girls and we went out on the front porch in a 12 inch snow drift and waited on Steve to come rescue us. I was afraid that when he saw us he might keep on driving. We were a sight. I had no make-up on at all.
We made our way out to the road where Steve had parked. The men came in thirty minutes.
They told Steve that we were safe and to come back inside. It was NOT a gas leak. They said it was a chemical, but NOT gas. They told us to get a plumber.
Now, we have had a HORRIBLE, TERRIBLE smell that comes from our bathroom every so often. The first time, we thought it was a dead animal. We noticed it mostly when it rained. This has been going on for a year now. I had talked to a plumber about it twice and they did not have an answer. When they were scheduled to come, the smell would go away and I would cancel the appt.
On Wednesday morning, after the gas company men left, I talked to a VERY smart plumber. He asked me if we use our master tub very often. I told him that I had not used it much at all in over a year. I used to bathe the girls in there, but we have now moved to the hall bathroom to bathe them. He went on to say that when a drain is not used very often it loses water in the trap and chemicals build up. He told me to fill the tub and maybe add a little bleach to the water. He had the answer! The smell went away along with the water going down the drain. He said some other smart stuff about pressure built before a storm and we would smell it when it stormed.
As we were sitting with Steve in the warm car, Steve remarked that we were just sitting outside our house in the snow waiting for it to blow up. Thank the Lord it did not!


Emily got to get out on Wednesday afternoon when she spent the night with her best friend, Sarah Grace. They even took her to the movie. She had a fabulous time! My friend Amber emailed me Thursday morning and asked me if I was about to go crazy with her. She brought her boys over and let the kids play. We had a great visit. I also got to visit with Tracy when she brought Emily and Sarah Grace back.
Today a kind friend that lives literally beside our neighborhood invited us over to play and eat. I could not go without my car. Sweet Amber told me she would come pick us up and take us over there. Thank goodness she did! I was so excited to get out!!!!!!!!!!!!! I sat up straight in that front seat and smiled all of the one minute drive to Erin's house. It did me good.

We are expected to get even more snow! I am so thankful for the friends I have been able to see this week. I am so thankful that Emily got a big outing and that Sarah Kate and I were able to get out today. We need friends in out lives. They have been my "pick me up" this week.