Call Roto-Rooter

What's worse than a plumbing problem? How about a plumbing problem in a foreign country and really limited knowledge of the language?

My kids were washing off their feet after spending the day at the park yesterday and, well, my daughter decided it was too strenuous to actually stand and do this. She decided to sit on the sink. That was barely anchored into the wall. With anchors that where twenty years old and jimmy rigged in with toothpicks, I later found out.

The horror that followed is still so raw it's really difficult to relive at this moment and let me tell you, I am not entirely sure, it can not be somehow be traced back to the Shaman. It'll be a while before I look back at this and laugh. Though, I know I will at some point.

Upon screams from my son that "Keeley ripped the sink out of the wall", I walked over to the bathroom. I was thinking she probably knocked the European style spray nozzle out of the shower.

Wishful thinking, I entered the bathroom to see her holding the sink up. Cracked anchors, icky black sink goo and cracked plastic piping lay on the floor. My son had a small glimmer of satisfaction in his eye and I think I detected a small smirk on his face, quite eerie actually, when he said to her, "You are going to be in so much trouble when Dad gets home!"

Ah crap..I had just received a text from him that he was on his way home and ready to start his five day weekend. Yeah. I am thinking this wasn't what he had in mind.

Getting a handyman in July or August in Europe? Lots of luck. The whole city is on vacation and has been since early July.

What ensued next was really much of a blur. A lot of internet surfing and trying to figure out just what the hell a Home Depot is called in Swedish. A whole lot more surfing to discover there wasn't one in the city center. A subway, a bus ride, $50 worth of parts and it was fixed. Actually in better condition that it was when we started.

Someday, it'll be funny. Just not today.