John says - Suzan says - from the archives................

It's really too hot to work on furniture today - so I've decided to share another conversation - this goes back quite a few years but I can still pee my pants everytime I think of this one........................

We had just bought a duplex and were in the midst of renovating - so strange things were happening at the time,  we had to rewire the house etc...............the wiring was original and the building was very old - plugging in the blowdryer and the toaster at the same time could blow a fuse
(  you get the picture )
The duplex was a semi detached - meaning we owned a bottom - with an upper rental - and attached to us
was another double unit ( like a brownstone really ) OK

John had been travelling on business in N.Y. - and had arrived home very late in the evening - well after midnight - he came in through the garage and walked up the stairs to the main level landing where he put his briefcase and suitcases down.....................

Suzan says - Oh I'm so glad you're home - how was the drive..................and I stop abruptly and listen to a very distinctive " sizzling " sound
Suzan says  - OMG - the wiring is making a funny noise
John says - how long  has it been doing that?
Suzan says  - I've only just noticed it
John says - well we have to find the source of this - I'm going to go to check all the rooms -
Suzan says - it seems to be loudest on the connecting wall to the neighbours - we have to let them know -
maybe it's THEIR wiring -
John says - well let me check first................
John says - I think  you're right - what do we do -
Suzan says - You have to go wake them up John!!!! This is an emergency
( by now I was absolutely frantic - I had teenage kids sleeping in their rooms downstairs )

and off he went - rang the neighbours door - woke them up - (they answered the door in their pajamas )  explained the situation - to which they immediately became frantic as well - running all over their place - " listening " to the walls - nope, it was not coming from their place....................

John says - We'll have to continue this tomorrow morning
Suzan says - We most certainly cannot wait till morning - the wires are frying for God's sakes - we could all be dead in the morning -
Suzan says - I'm calling an emergency electrician

Obviously I got the answering service - and I explain to the woman ( and I'm near tears at this point )
that our electricity is " sizzling " in the walls - and that we need someone here immediately
And 2 minutes after I hang up - my daughter comes thumping up the stairs - throws John's briefcase at us
and says

CAN YOU TURN YOUR TRAVEL ALARM OFF PLEASE - I HAVE EXAMS EARLY TOMORROW MORNING..................................

If they gave out awards for stupidity I tell ya - there would be no contest
Absolutely none.
But his alarm sounded like wires sizzling I swear.

Later in bed..................

Suzan says - maybe we shouldn't have bought a fixer upper
John says - I warned you - I'm not handy......................

Oh and by the way we never told the neighbours what really happened -
and we kind of slunk around for a few weeks avoiding them entirely.

And because I gave you a conversation from the archives - I'll give you a before and after from the archives because this is a furniture blog after all, lol

before

after

Stay Cool everybody
XXX