Absurd

[Susan Smith]

So.... a plumbing disaster. Me lying on the floor in the bathroom in a nightie trying to stop a leak from under the shower tray. How did it come to this?

[Helen_Highwater]

Why? Because you'd look silly in a ballgown!

[Jean 103]

Murphy's Law, it always happens when .....

[NancyTO]

As long as you're not showing any plumber butt crack, you're good to go. :)

[Teresa]

Susan,
Been there and done a similar thing !
I was putting on my makleup in my bathroom wearing just bra and pants when I heard a dripping sound , discovered the toilet had sprung a leak on the water inlet supply , in the next few minutes the doorbell started to ring with a delivery driver who insisted on having a signature . After dealing with him I finished my makeup slipped on jeans and a Tshirt to rush off to the builders merchant to buy a new inlet valve . My intention was to visit some formal gardens that morning but ended up laying on my back fixing the toilet supply .

[Liz Jones]

Having seen many excelent pictures of you imaculatly dressed are we to see pictures of you in niightee,pink slippers (heeled of course) with a roll of "Gaffer tape ?:-)

[GretchenM]

The wonderful aspect about these unfortunate events is that also being men we are not reluctant to proceed with fixing it. Daphna Joel, author of "Gender Mosaic," starts her book with an incident similar to these and calls for a male to repair it. She then wonders about the stereotype that women can't fix things like this and only men seem to be able to do that. It is a discouraging event and consequence for her. She then proceeds, over the rest of the book, to state the case that we are all a blend of female-like and male-like traits and characteristics and have correspondingly configured neural networks. But the stereotype that females don't have the ability to do these fixes and need males to do it for them which is a consequence of the gender binary concept society follows plagues so many women. So, in that way, perhaps we and a minority of the rest of the people, are living lives more consistent with the gender mosaic than those who stick to the gender binary which deems females as helpless when it comes to such mechanical issues. Many of us may think we are females at heart, but that does not destroy the ability to be males when necessary. How very wrong that gender binary concept actually is. It causes us, whether male or female, to restrict our abilities to that which the binary concept dictates is absolutely the case.

[Cheryl T]

Too coincidental.
Last week I had just finished dressing. I had on a cute top and since we weren't going out I decided to wear a new mini skirt (a little short for public I think). I walk into the kitchen and my wife says there's a leak under the sink, can I take a look. So there I am trying to squeeze into the cabinet to see what's going on and of course I can't really keep my knees together moving around on the floor. I look up and catch my wife looking up my skirt. Of course I make a comment and we both have a laugh.
Never could get in that cabinet and had to call a plumber.

[candykowal]

Oh, I hate plumbing! It's usually 3 trips to the hardware store and I usually buy the wrong fitting!
Seems I can't discern a 1/2" fitting from 5/8", that kitchen drain size is different then bathroom, and forgetabout ....if you don't have the old faucet cassette when trying to buy a new one!
I am usually changing into guy mode when all these "male" issues arise.
Whenever I go to the hardware store in girl mode, I get 20 questions, in guy mode I get okay, here you go!

[Star01]

In my own case I learned hydraulic systems in aircraft carrier catapult school and worked with 2,750 psi hydraulic systems. Now 47 years later I panic when a faucet with 24 psi pressure is dripping. Truth be told I am comfortable working with plumbing and have never called a plumber in decades of home ownership. Nevertheless, I would prefer to be the lady in distress who hires it done.

[Maria 60]

Just like Cheryl Ts situation I was wearing a skirt and changing the batteries on the touchless kitchen faucet. I couldn't reach the back so I went into oil change position. I was pulling myself out of the cabinet when I noticed my wife sitting at the kitchen table looking up my skirt. My wife has always said when a man is trying to catch a view on her that men are all pervs. I got her attention from her eyes up my skirt and asked her who's the perv now. She just laughed
I hope you repaired your leak without to much damage to you place.

[Teresa]

GretchenM ,
My wife is learning to do some jobs but she accepts her knowledge and ability just isn't there , I have another GG friend who gets very frustrated with her own ability but she is more concerned about jobs being done by " professionals " becaues they are qualified which keeps the insurance companies happy .

Electricity frightens many people but I'm more paranoid about water problems , a flooded home would be my worse nightmare ( which did happen soon after I moved in to my new home ). The problem more women than men have is they have no idea how to isolate the water supply , maybe that's more of a general question , do you know where your stopcock is ? The answers to that could be very surprising .

Cheryl,
You're very lucky your wife didn't take a picture , or did she ? I must admit the vision of you stuck in a tight spot under the kitchen sink in a short skirt did raise a smile .

[Stephanie47]

After what Candy (#9) experienced when I got to the plumbing section I take along the disassembled broken parts. Cuts down on trips. The worst plumbing disaster we have experienced was hearing a loud 'bang' one night while watching television. Then we heard the sound of running water. The bathroom toilet bowl had cracked in half after 48 years. It split from where the toilet seat is bolted to the fixture. It wasn't excessive tight, but like old folks it just wore out. We were fortunate we were home and not on vacation for several days. That happened to our neighbor years ago. The water ran and ran and ran some more.Recommendation. When leaving for a vacation turn off the intake values on washers and sinks/toilets.

[docrobbysherry]

I guess I don't get it?:straightface:

If u dress like a woman all the time why u be surprised at doing everything and anything in women's things?:brolleyes:

[Cheryl T]

Teresa,
No she didn't take a picture. I don't think she thought of it quick enough...LOL
Glad the vision brightened your day...

[Robertacd]

For me it's all a matter of commitment. I am in transition and while my wife is fully supportive. I don't want to show even the slightest bit of hesitation to be the femme me, specially those times it would be far more convenient to be a man.

Like a couple months ago I had to replace a toilet. It would have been very easy to fall back into guy mode, put on some grubby guy clothes, and get 'er done... But no I did it all fully dressed, makeup, forms, and painted nails. I managed to only break one nail in the process and a lady even complimented by sandals while standing in line at bLowes. :p

[Leslie Langford]

Oh, I hate plumbing! It's usually 3 trips to the hardware store and I usually buy the wrong fitting!
Seems I can't discern a 1/2" fitting from 5/8", that kitchen drain size is different then bathroom, and forgetabout ....if you don't have the old faucet cassette when trying to buy a new one!
I am usually changing into guy mode when all these "male" issues arise.
Whenever I go to the hardware store in girl mode, I get 20 questions, in guy mode I get okay, here you go!

I know the feeling, Candy. The indoor valve (winter shutoff valve) to the water line for our outdoor garden hose began dripping at the beginning of the Covid-19 shutdown that was instituted in these parts back in March, and when on-line shopping became the only available option. Ordinarily this would have been simple repair, only necessitating a trip to Home Depot (or the like) with the old cartridge to ensure obtaining the exact same replacement part. And as we all know, there are many of these types of cartridges out there - usually manufacturer-specific - and while they may look identical at first glance, typically they aren't due to subtle differences. So I knew right away that trying to navigate that maze via on-line shopping would be invitation to frustration. Luckily, it was a very small leak, and I was able to contain it temporarily by attaching a small disposable cup under the valve to catch the water and emptying it periodically until such time as the hardware stores re-opened.

And to your point - once I did finally manage to get to Home Depot with the old cartridge, I showed it to the elderly SA working in the plumbing section, he took one look at it and declared "EMCO, circa 1980's, right?", headed straight to the wall display and quickly snatched the correct one from where it was located amongst all the others. And yes, my house was built in 1986, so he was right on the money - LOL!. Then again, there is a reason why Home Depot prefers to hire elderly and retired former tradespeople with a wealth of experience to work in those departments, and where extensive product and contractor knowledge is a definite plus - especially when it comes to advising otherwise clueless "do-it-yourselfer" wannabees. And yes, the cartridge fit perfectly...10 minutes after I got home I was all done. :thumbsup:

[michelleddg]

Leslie, my Canadian Bestie, your Home Depot saga just tickles me. Only possible improvement would be the details on how you got all tarted up to make the trip :-)

Hugs, Michelle

[Krisi]

Been there, done that. Plumbing as a woman.

Of course, there are real women plumbers.

[Leslie Langford]

Leslie, my Canadian Bestie, your Home Depot saga just tickles me. Only possible improvement would be the details on how you got all tarted up to make the trip :-)

Hugs, Michelle

"Tarted up"? I wish! Strictly in drab for this particular outing.

Covid-19 has driven "Leslie" back into the closet big time for now and until such time as this whole pandemic issue settles down. My wife and I are both retired and "social distancing" at home to the extent required or, to put it another way...under "house arrest" for all practical purposes, with only occasional forays into the wild for the basic necessities of life. Wife is only semi-tolerant, doesn't want to see "Leslie" or any evidence of her, and we are now together pretty much 24/7. Ahhh! Gotta love all that "togetherness"...what's a"girl" to do??? :doh: :sad:

That said, Texas appears to be one of those "Wild, Wild West" U.S. states where the Covid-19 pandemic is raging unchecked for the moment, not to mention the double whammy of that hurricane bearing down on y'all at the same time. I worry about you. Are you hunkering down in a bunker yourself?

[michelleddg]

Same as you Miss Leslie. My wife and I are hunkering down together, so Michelle has been on hiatus coming up 6 months. Even have my denial beard working. We're doing fine, safe and comfortable. Complaining about reduced opportunity in our arena seems so small-minded given the hardships and horribleness faced by so many in these troubled times. Hugs, Michelle

[DianaW]

Sounds like a good scene in a comedy film. You certainly painted a picture!