First there was no water, and then there was too much water.

I stripped off my bathrobe, donned my shower cap and did a silly little dance designed to minimise the time my toes were in contact with the cold tiles. Waiting for the water to heat up while still half asleep was a regular morning ritual…but today wasn’t a normal day and this was taking longer than usual.

Testing with my finger tips yielded no good news, not even lukewarm yet. I reached back into the shower and turned the hot tap on more and more. First it gushed. Then it did a weird chug-a-lug stop start thing, then there was a lengthy pause | then water again! Yes!….but….no, still cold.

Time to try something different. I reached back in and turned the tap to off. But it just kept turning and turning and turning, the water flow undiminished. I put my robe back on and stomped up the hallway still in my shower cap. “Grandpaaaaaaaaaaa, Big Bertha is on the fritz again!” . He didn’t stir, no surprise there. I grabbed a wrench. What a start…maybe my first day in my new job would be easy after this!