Boiling With Rage

I am sitting here waiting for Sears to come and install a new water heater. A $700 water heater that we had to buy this weekend, even though we don't have $700 dollars at this particular juncture. A $700 dollar water heater needed because, on Saturday, after a long discussion about how we spent all of our money on travel and would have to live on ramen for the next two weeks, I walked into the basement to find our current water heater sitting in a growing puddle of water. It could have been worse, I guess. I mean, that's what I keep telling myself so that I don't set the house on fire and run screaming from the scene.

Of course, the water heater itself wasn't $700. I didn't go for the bling encrusted Lil' Jon model. The actual water heater was just $400. So, what, pray tell, is the other $300 for? A tip to Sears for being so great? Why, no. The extra money was spent to actually get the damn thing installed before the current one completely gives up the ghost and floods the basement. Of course, the way things are going right now that might not happen. You see, when I bought the damn water heater on Saturday, I was told they could install it Monday afternoon. This morning they called Ryan to say they would be here between three and five. Three came, no water heater. Four came, no water heater. Five thirty came, no water heater. I checked my phone, and my temper, to make sure both were working. Then I called to see what the hell was going on. I was told that the installers have had to make a number of "emergency" installations today, and that some customers have been pushed back because of it. Um, isn't my basement slowly filling with water an emergency? There better be some people with Titanic like situations on their hands right now if mine is considered "normal." I was told that the installer will be here at around 6:30. I asked if the phones had been broken, or when someone was going to call to tell me they were running 90 MINUTES LATE. I think the disaptcher understood that question was strictly rhetorical. Or maybe not, I couldn't hear what she was saying over the bulging vein in my forehead.

So, now, here I sit. It is, at this moment, 6:36. I am hoping this damn thing is installed by midnight. I am also wondering if tomorrow when the noon news is supposed to start I can just put up a sign that says "Numerous emergency newscasts have forced us to push yours back to 2:00pm. Or 3:00pm. We don't know yet." I really hope this installer gets his news from the noon show. That'll teach him...