Knitters Greenhouse

It had to happen eventually, but Ray was going to make it last forever. I had to tell Rachel that she was no longer going to have a job. It was awful. I will always do what I have to do, but this was bad. She's been a good, faithful employee, and she's a friend. Now, the time has come, through no fault of her own, to have to leave our employment.

Ray did e-mail her about 3 1/2 weeks ago. Then, exactly 3 weeks ago, I made the call - and yesterday, Karen and I went to Nashville to bring home the files and "stuff." Not a fun trip. I wanted to do something nice at the end, so I looked up a Nashville spa, and I bought her a nice "you're fired" gift. Now she can go, pick out products or spa/facial/manicure treatments, and maybe not hate us.

Rachel and her husband, Joe, (see band: Mitch McVicker) had all the boxes and the files sitting outside their house. (She'd been working from her home.) We packed the Suburban, with everything fitting perfectly. I don't think we could have fit even one more box. We went inside, went over details, instructions, etc. We said our good-byes, and, with the hope that we'll keep in touch, Karen and I pulled out of the drive for the long drive back to Indiana.

Now, for the funny part of the story. I didn't sleep well last night - who knows why. So, sometime about 6, I thought I heard Karen get up to use the toilet. I heard the sound of water hitting water, you know the sound, right? Like p-----. But the p----- sound went on...and on...and on... and then some more...on...and on... I thought, "how can she be p----- THAT much?" Finally, I asked, "Hey Karen, is that you going to the bathroom?" "No, Mom. I thought that was YOU." "What???" and we both jumped from bed to see what was going on in the bathroom.

The ceiling was p-----! There was water coming straight into the toilet from above. And there was water also pouring into the bathtub, through a vent in the ceiling. I called the front office, and told them they had a leak. We closed the door to the bathroom, and tried again to sleep. No luck. Just about when I was drifting off again, the water started pouring into the toilet. Nothing like the sound of water to disturb sleep!

So there we were - couldn't sleep, couldn't use the toilet, couldn't take a shower!

I called the desk again, not really to complain, but to let them know the leak from above was AWFUL. They immediately offered to move us, to bring a key, and we didn't have to move all our stuff. We took what we'd need to shower, but didn't bother to get everything. AND - they gave us half off the room! And luckily, we didn't get wet!