Mercy! Mercy! That Dang Nabed PERCY!

Linda, Episode 2

My Wife Linda, Installment 2

My wife and I are a good team but when we do things together the tension runs high. We lack the ability to work harmoniously and would never make it on dancing with the stars. But she is one smart broad and if you could see us in action you’d be amazed.

For example last year the outdoor wood stove quit working. Specifically it was the pump. The pump quit pumping the water that circulates through the floor, the heat exchanger and the Modine (ceiling blower). I was afraid something like this was going to happen as soon as I heard the contractor who sold and installed it had gone out of business. We have a backup gas heat system that came with the house but after we built the extension and the shop, the furnace strained to keep us at thirty-two degrees.

Here is how the situation developed…

Honey, I’m freezing… when you gonna fix the stove…?

I’m thinking about it, dear, and a plan is forming in my mind.

You want me to call around and find somebody to fix it?

Don’t think we can do it…do you?

What’s this “We” stuff?

If you can find someone go for it, but I don’t think you’ll find anyone and if you do… it’ll cost us a couple hundred dollars.

What’s your plan?

I’m thinking we can take the pump off and you can write down where the wires connect and we can buy and install a new one.

You want me to be your secretary?

That’s the idea.

You sure you know which one of those devices in the stove is the pump…?

Yes dear…

But you don’t know which wires go where and what they do…?

We just wire it back up the way we take it out… You write the diagram and I do the installation…

So you can blame me if it doesn’t work…

You got a better idea…?

My father would know what the wires do…

Your father is in Georgia.

So we’re gonna play monkey see, monkey do and hope when it goes back together, it works.

You got it babes…. That, or we sit around and shiver…

I guess it’s worth a try.