Well, we made it to England. We left a very rainy N.J. and woke up in surprisingly sunny England. We were able to go straight to our new house and claim our bedrooms. We did not let the children take naps but rather corralled them into the car and headed into town for some lunch. Another pleasant surprise is the size of Camberley. The high street includes quite a mall and entertainment center with theaters, bowling and such. We spent quite a bit of time browsing and then straightening out some banking issues. A trip to the grocery store rounded out the trip.
When we got home, I cooked dinner and Jacob stole away for a nap! Not so much fun trying to get him to join us for dinner. After dinner, the bedtime routine ensued. Showers were in order. This is when the bone chilling cold of England started to set in. Apparently there are several knobs and switches that need to be turned and flicked in order to turn on the water heater. Believing we had taken care of all of that we waited for warm water. And we waited. Finally we sent the kids to bed with clean teeth but smelly feet to try again on Tuesday for showers. Steve was hesitant, but I was a bit insistent, so he called the landlord to ask what we were doing wrong. Further instruction led us to another switch and all was sorted. Or so we thought.
Steve hopped into the shower and enjoyed a somewhat warm dousing. Then it was my turn. I should remember that ladies always go first. I had enough warm water to wash my hair and wash my body, but not enough to rinse out my hair. I was very dissapointed that the water heater would not accommodate two showers. I figured it just needed time to fully warm up.
Tuesday the kids and I went out and about. The house was chilly when we got up so I put on pants, a t-shirt and a pullover. Jacob had on jeans and a t-shirt, Katie her soccer gear (she is in soccer camp all week) and Cameron in shorts and a t-shirt. I managed to convince Cameron to put on a sweatshirt. The others complained that it was cold. A quick glance at the dashboard of the car indicated it was only about 58 degrees outside. The radio alerted us to the estimated high of about 70 for the day. The gray sky wasn't helping to warm us in spite of the temperature. We made it through with socks.
As evening came upon us so did the bedtime routine. It was time to try the showers again. We had been washing dishes in warm water and found warm water in the other sinks, so this was promising. We kept a watch on the time so that no one could use too much hot water; however, Katie's shower, the last one, was lukewarm at best. Thankfully she has a snuggly comforter on her bed and long pajamas from her Oma to keep her warm.
This morning Steve was pleasantly surprised by a nice inviting warm shower. Our problems seemed to be over. He was ready to leave for work, so I endeavoured (like the UK spelling there) to wash the stench off of me. I turned on the water to find it barely lukewarm. I did not hide the aggravation or annoyance in my voice as I told Steve before he headed out the door. We agreed I should wait an hour to see if it got better. A little more than an hour later I tried the water again and was greeted by colder water than before from the shower faucet. I actually started to cry. Then I looked at the separate tub and thought maybe this was a shower problem and not a system problem. I turned the hot water on and found it to be very warm, so I started to fill the tub. My prayers were answered. At least they were until I had soap in my hair. Then the water was running cold! For the second day, I had to rinse my hair in cold water.
The landlord is sending a contractor out to sort the situation as soon as possible, but as it is going to take 10 days to install Internet, Cable and phone service, I am wondering how long it will take to fix a water heater. I have threatened Steve that I am going to go to a hotel and charge the room fees back to the landlord until the situation is sorted, but he feels I am being a bit rash. Well, he leaves for China on Saturday and a nice warm shower Sunday in a cozy hotel. Let's hope our problem is fixed before then or I may stowe away in his suitcase (he'll have to pay the oversized luggage fee).
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