Today has just been one of those days.
Woke up in the morning feeling like it was a bit colder than normal. Got up and went about getting breakfast ready. Then came to do the washing up and realised that there was no hot water. Tried to turn the heating on. Nothing. The boiler wouldn’t start.
Now, we do actually get our boiler serviced each year. It was last serviced just under 7 weeks ago. We get it serviced before the worst of winter for the exact reason that we don’t want to be in the position that we now find ourselves in – with no functioning boiler and less than two weeks to Christmas.
These things also always seem to coincide with points where you are especially busy. For the first time in months, I had paid work every day last week and have more next week. So, the boiler decides to break at the exact point where I have early mornings and tiring days. At the point where I had decided this weekend was going to be a stress-free, relaxing weekend of reading and watching TV. I wish!
Instead, I have spent much of today crouched down behind the washing machine, underneath the boiler, on Facetime to our plumber trying to diagnose the problem. (He hasn’t got any technicians to send out because they are all self-isolating!) This failed to identify the fault, just ruled out one possible cause. But in the process, one of the seals broke on a pipe. Flash forward an hour and I’m stood in the socially distanced queue at Screwfix with a bit of broken pipe in my hand, waiting to see if they have the replacement. That feels about as far away as possible from the ‘curled up in my pyjamas with a hot chocolate and a book’ plan I had in my head when I woke up…
Somehow, I have to try and clear my head, accept what has happened and try to enjoy what little time there is left in the day to relax. Ultimately, things aren’t all that bad. We have a back-up immersion heater so can get hot water, and there’s an electric fire in the living room, plus an old oil heater that’s come down from the loft for the bedroom. Things could be much much worse. And I have to hold onto that.
It sounds facile but the thing I’m most annoyed about is the loss of my relaxed and cosy Sunday. It was one of the things that was helping me get through the week. It was the carrot that was drawing me on to the end of week. And now it has been taken away from me. But that’s life I suppose. Today has just got to be put down as one of those days.