Drippy Faucet

The Emory House is 135 years old, and not in bad shape, really, considering its age. Of course every house is a work in progress, and if I had more money, work would be progressing much faster. I deal with the things that seem most important or cost effective--a squirrel in the attic, insulation for the walls--and try not to fret too much about the rest.

The ball faucet in the kitchen sink is one example of an item I haven't deemed worthy of repair, although it's been bothering me since I moved in. It leaks just a bit from the base whenever I turn it on. Not quite enough to merit replacing it; just enough to bug me a bit. Leaky faucets are bad feng shui: they represent money flowing away. Every time I wash a dish, I'm half-consciously blaming that faucet for my lack of cash flow.

On the Saturday after Thanksgiving--Crucial Xgiving at my house--I served dinner for 30 people, which necessitated lots of kitchen cleanup. My cousin Alice's husband, a retired California fire captain, put himself in charge of the kitchen detail, with all the organization and seriousness of purpose he used to devote to 2000 acres of raging brush fires. It was all I could do to get the sink to myself for half a minute, to grab some water for the coffeepot.

As I turned on the faucet, Bill began to lecture me.

"Don't press down on the handle while the water is running," he admonished. "You're defeating the valve mechanism and causing the faucet to leak."

I removed my hand and let the water flow unaided. No leak. Hmmm.

Was my "problem" as simple as that? Had I been causing it myself through ignorance all this time?

The new year is almost upon us. I have now learned how not to impede my acquisition of wealth. Let the money flow!