We're Out of Gas!

Well, not literally out but we are disconnected from the supply. Last night Trevor and I were outside enjoying our new covered deck and discussing furniture and decorating possibilities. As we were walking towards the back door I smelled natural gas. I had noticed a faint smell earlier that evening just inside the back door, but it went away. Trevor did a little investigating and realized that the pipe that conveys the gas to our house was rusted through and leaking. My first thought was to thank God for keeping Trevor safe last weekend during all of the construction on the deck. They were cutting metal right near that pipe.......could have been blown up......I can't think about it for too long.

Anyway, Trevor turned the gas off at the meter while I called Centerpoint to come take a look at it. Trevor had to dig down a bit to get to the pipe and while he was digging he found an old spoon that belonged to my mom! It must have been buried there for 25 years! We always joke that half of her stainless is buried somewhere in the yard between my brother and me using spoons for shovels, and this was proof positive! It was still bright and shiny after I cleaned it up.

While I was waiting for Centerpoint to show up, Trevor ran to Lowe's to get the pipe and supplies he would need to fix the problem. When the repairman arrived, he informed me that he was TAKING the meter. They would not bring it back until we had a licensed plumber come and fix the pipe, do a gas and pressure test and then have the city come and do an inspection. I can understand the need for safety, but this means that we will be without hot water and a stove until the pipe gets fixed. We all took showers/baths last night since the water in the heater was still hot in preparation for this morning.

So, Trevor is on the phone this morning trying to find a plumber to come today. The bright side of all of this is that I can order take-out with absolutely no guilt tonight! The not so bright side is that we may have to boil water in the microwave for shallow baths tonight. There is also the issue of my husband chomping at the bit to fix the problem himself. He is perfectly capable of installing the new pipe correctly, but to be told that he is not allowed to just irks him. For someone who routinely fixes EVERYTHING in our house, that is just not acceptable. I don't think we've ever paid someone to come do anything around the house up to this point in our marriage. It will be a new and strange experience, but worth it to me. I really don't want to get blown up.