Great Goofs

Two Hundred Eighty Third Post: Great Goofs

Spring means outdoor and shop projects. We took out the scroll saw today. We are starting to think what projects we want to do. But with these home and car projects comes some goofs. “The Family Handy Man” magazine his a section of “Great Goofs.” I sent one in. Here is my entry:

It’s Leaking!

After I had come home from school back when I was in third grade, my dad had been home fixing the toilet. The rubber that held the water pipe that fills the tank had worn out. He was short on cash so he tried to improvise and rig the toilet pipe by using various parts stored in the shed. He had just spent 3 to 4 hours on this improvised solution and was so proud of his work.

Being the couch potato I am, I was in the living room watching cartoons. Meanwhile my mom and dad went outside to turn on the water. While I was sitting there not paying attention, water had shot it bursts out to the bath room from the toilet to the living room window 20 feet away. I did not notice.

Soon my mom and dad came in and yelled because water was in a steady stream now wetting the curtains. There was nothing else to do but go outside and shut of the water again. That and a trip to the hardware store to get the correct seal for the inlet pipe.

My parents weren’t too happy I didn’t notice the water stream. It reminds me of an old Encyclopedia Brown story where the toilet explodes. I always wondered what caused the toilet in the story to explode. Now my dad had figured it out.

This isn’t my dad’s only goof in plumbing. He hates plumbing. I once heard him yell when testing his work: “darn it, it’s leaking”...then fix it and test it again... “gosh darn it, it is leaking again.” This goes on for a couple hours. He hates it when I laugh, but there is always a goof when he does plumbing.

Well until the toilet explodes... May the Creative Force be with You