Plumbing Problems and Tulle Skirts

As you all know, plumbing problems are the biggest pain in the tuchas. They're not only intimidating, destructive, sometimes difficult and often expensive to repair, but they can make you feel defeated and deprived. In this case, it was a dying pressure relief valve on our water heater, and the failure of this single piece of plumbing hardware took away our hot water, making it really hard to maintain basic hygiene ( yak!) It also deprived me of long, luxurious soaks in my tub, and made it impossible to color my hair.

(This is a new pressure relief valve.  It is not as innocent as it looks.)

The fix for this snafu was simple in theory: turn off the water, disconnect and unscrew this little item, screw another one in, reconnect it, then turn the water back on and you're back in business. The problem is that the little bastards have a tendency to seize up and won't budge. This one was just such a stubborn little bastard. Much heaving and hammering, huffing and straining ensued.  Without boring you with all the details, it took us several days (!!) to get it unstuck and get our hot water back. And when we did, we were seriously proud of our accomplishment. (Dan was the one to actually make it move, but I take credit for taking many futile turns at yarding on the pipe wrench, and the eventual application of the penetrating oil that finally dissolved the mineral deposits that made it stick. )

Reasonably, you ask, "What has this to do with personal style?" The answer is this: the triumph one feels over a big plumbing problem solved is a huge confidence builder. That burst of self-assurance combined with the giddy, celebratory relief of having your hot water back is so heady that you can suddenly feel confident enough to wear whatever you 
damn well want to.

My little black tulle skirt has been hanging in my closet for months, and I've never worn it for fear of looking like a modern Miss Havisham. So full of self-esteem was I that it suddenly seemed just the thing to do. A woman who can help fix her own plumbing and manage excellent hygiene for days without hot water from the tap should be able to wear a tulle skirt with aplomb. 

 I swear that when I opened the closet, I heard that little wisp of a skirt whisper "Now... now is the time ..." in that swishy, scratchy, soft voice that tulle would have if it possessed the ability to speak. I also pulled out the black nylons with the tiny polka dots, just for this special occasion. Woo hoo! I thought my new, black, moto-ish jacket helped push this combination right over the edge. 

 I wore the whole outfit to the restaurant on Saturday evening and had the best time! I'm unlikely to wear it often, but it felt good to try it at least once. And not one person thought it was a Halloween costume. Or said so, anyway.

Here's Dan feeling too cool to be seen without shades. He's not only happy to have the job accomplished, he's relieved that I'm no longer freaking out. He's also wearing one of his Phillip Lim for Target shirts that he found on the clearance rack. He had a good week several ways.   

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So ... thanks for reading, have a great week and remember:

Wherever the confidence or inspiration comes from, whether it's from the pages of Vogue or Plumbing for Dummies, it can feel wonderful to grab it and run with it!

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Late Breaking News!  At last, I'm in time to link up with the Fabulously Talented and Intriguingly Interesting Spy Girl, Anne and her  52 Pick-Me-Up  linky party!  I'm going to visit with the most interesting women ... join me!