Who says I Don’t Believe in Miracles?

Drains: Love/Hate
You gotta love drains. They carry away much of the refuse of the world, and in your house they swallow the contents of the toilet, the bathroom sink, the dishwasher, the kitchen sink and the washing machine. Not to forget the tub and shower water. I love them for their utility.
Long ago I gave up “hate” as a way of thinking of people and things. Takes too much energy to hate anyone or anything, and in the end it cannot make things better. And, it can make you sick. You hate, your blood pressure goes up. That can lead to stroke or heart attack. If you are going to have one of those, better in the arms of a lover at the precise moment of unendurable bliss. Not good for the lover, but what a way to go!
But I leave one thing on the hate list. Not on the functional end but on the assembly end. Drains are one of the most vexatious devices known to mankind. The go together fairly easily, and then they leak. They come apart easily, get looked at, go together, and then they leak. They come apart AGAIN, get thoroughly looked at and smeared with waterproof putty, go together, and then they LEAK!!!
Judas Priest!!!(See earlier essay called “The F-Bomb” for a discussion of this particular stand in). By now stroke is just around the corner and no lover in sight. Mantra: calm, calm, calm, calm. Deep breath. It works. Take apart; look at it in minute detail for any signs of imperfection (none noted); smear with waterproof putty, WD-40 between the nut and gasket so it tightens easier; assemble carefully; deep breath; fill bowl with water; lift stopper. Dry. No leak. Once again the miracle of WD-40.
On to the toilet and the tub drain. Deep breath. Calm. Calm. Calm. Calm.
(PS on hate list: crown molding is right there next to drains.)
Image: woodstock-georgia.olx.com/water-pipe-leak-fro...