Troubling Waters

This is the first house I’ve ever lived in that receives its water from a private well.  Up until yesterday I thought my only responsibilities were replenishing the salt pellets when they ran low and every other year replacing the reverse osmosis filters.  Unbeknownst to me there is also a filter that removes radon from the water.  When I innocently called the water company to get the system serviced since we’re trying to sell the house the sales lady reacted with aghast when I told her I didn’t even know about the radon filter.  They said it was last serviced in 2004 and should have been changed back in 2006.  I bought the house in 2005 and this “very important procedure” was never identified.  My exercise bike is right next to the water system so apparently I’ve been exercising next to a “highly radioactive” device for the past couple years.

Water Dude in the House Yesterday at Ground Zero

So the water people were in the house yesterday and after talking to the sales lady I thought they’d be showing up in level 4 HAZMAT gear. Instead, two plumber like dudes, complete with low riding pants, showed up to replace filters and provide the needed tutorial.  I innocently asked them if it was so important to replace this filter every couple years why that wasn’t posted on the outside of the device.  The blank stares I received were answer enough.  They disconnected the device and said it had to sit for a few months for the radiation levels to naturally dissipate.  That led to a discussion on where this dissipation was supposed to take place because they weren’t moving anything.  They assured me that there was absolutely no danger and I was not going to be growing a third eye anytime soon.  I asked that they speak with their sales lady about her bedside manner.

My Wife Ready for the Challenge

In other aquatic news my wife took advantage of yesterday’s tropical weather to complete the ice bucket challenge.  If anyone wants to know what living in the tropics is like, yesterday’s weather is a perfect example, hot with oppressive humidity that culminates in a real gutter washing rain storm in the afternoon followed by even more humidity as the sun comes back out on the saturated environment.  My wife took advantage of this Panama like weather and carefully rehearsed her speech.  She said afterwards that she planned on doing the same thing I’d done by not reacting to how cold the water was. 

And After

Then she experienced the ice water which robbed her instantaneously of any resolve in that regard.  She ran shrieking onto the deck which was almost as funny as it was charming.  I’m impressed because I know this was a lot harder for her than it was for me; a lot of iron in that lady.

Date night called for a movie (if you can imagine that) and we saw The November Man.  Pierce Brosnan has made a late career out of playing retired spies after getting booted from his 007 gig.  He’s back again as an ex-CIA operative who gets pulled back into the business where he has to confront old friends and a lethal protégé he trained.

The movie had a lot of well-choreographed action as Brosnan kills his way from Moscow to Belgrade while romancing a couple of Russian beauties along the way.  I did have some problems with the editing which jumped around a little too much.  Red herrings are fine but only in moderation.  The plot couldn’t decide what the real story was:  the confrontation or the underlying mission to discredit the Russian politician or rescue the damsel(s) in distress.  When a movie tries to be everything to everybody it will fail due to its two hour life span.  All that being said the action and Brosnan lift this flick into the eminently watchable level; just suspend your disbelief upon entering.