Red faced, but happy

Last week my wife went to get something out from under the kitchen sink and found that water had been leaking. So we pulled out all the junk that we put under the sink and forget about, so we could clean and dry it out.

Then I found that by tightening a nut on the spray hose in the sink, I could solve the problem of the leak. Which I did.

However, after supper, when I went to run a few scraps from our plates through the disposal, the disposal was silent. No go. First, I spent a half hour looking for the little tool that allows one to rotate the disposal shaft. Becky finally found it in the drawer with the knives and scissors. The disposal shaft moved freely. Tried the switch again. Nothing.

Next, I went down to the cellar to the switchboard. None of the switches had been thrown. I switched them off and on anyway, just in case. Several times, as if that would make a difference.

Back to the kitchen. Nothing. Next, I got down on my bum and back, then stretched my head under the sink to see if the disposal had a reset button. It did, a tiny red one. I hit it. Twice. Thrice. No go.

Well, I reasoned, after Becky had helped me to my feet, it's been at least 10 years since I put in the disposal, maybe more. It’s time for a new one.

Home Depot. Found the one I thought best and brought it home. However, installing a disposal under the sink is no longer something I can do.

Called Paulo, our neighbor. He's a mechanical genius. He works for Ford. A month or two ago, Paulo helped us solve the problem with our dishwasher, helped us order new parts and installed them.

If it's not too much of an inconvenience, please, could you?

Paulo couldn't come on Saturday, but on Sunday afternoon he showed up, with 4-year-old Miguel in tow. Paulo had his toolbox, and Miguel had his little one.

Before taking the old disposal out, however, Paulo crawled under the sink to take a look. Hmm. Then he did something we couldn't see, came back out and stood up. Try it now, he said.

I hit the switch, and the disposal instantly came to life, making a beautiful sort of raspy, purring sound.

Did you know it was unplugged? he asked.

Needless to say, my face turned red. When we had hauled everything out after discovering a leak, I must have pulled out the disposal plug, which connects to an outlet in the back.

Still, we were happy. Paulo was pleased that he didn’t have to spend any more time working on a neighbor's appliance. Only Miguel was disappointed. He had his tools ready, and never got to help out with the job.

Life has its moments. Red faced, but happy.

© Ben Jacques, 2021