First World Problems

I have a very stress-free life. There are small worries but at the moment I have no serious problems that worry me. However, I do have several 'first-world problems,' as Mollie calls them, and one of these little problems recently got solved.

 

We are fortunate enough to have a pool. Nick, my cute pool boy, takes care of it and I just get to enjoy. But each summer since I retired, I do have one job - turning on the pump each morning. Nick doesn’t want it running 24 hours a day. Was this a big chore for me? No, of course not, but I still didn’t like it.

 

This onerous task involves going down stairs, my knees still hurt most of the time and stairs are not my friends. Adding to my dislike of stairs is that there are always spider webs built across them and that’s an icky feeling. But I make it to the pool, head through the gate (more spider webs) go across to the other side of the house and walk through the grass – always wet at that time of morning, through the other gate and to the electrical box. 

I’m always stepping carefully by this time looking for snakes and spiders in this area. I open the box – it takes two hands, flip the switch, close the box – two hands again and then head back. By the time I get back to the stairs I swear new webs have been spun, but I manage to force my creaking knees back up to the house.

 

Hmm… I don’t see any tears of pity for me yet.

 

I’ve been doing this for a few years, it’s truly not the worst chore in the world, but I was griping a little about it to Nick. He’s not here to do it most morning because he works for a living. Appropriately, he laughed at me and commented that he was shocked I hadn’t demanded a divorce yet.

 

I thought no more about it until a package arrived for Nick a few days later. When he opened it I saw it was mechanical so I ignored it as he headed downstairs with whatever it was. About an hour later he comes up and hands me a fob. I looked puzzled as he led me to the window and said, “Try it.”

Yes, he had installed a remote control switch. I now stand in my writing room and with a push of the button turn the pump on and off. So if any of you were concerned that I’m not as spoiled as I once one, you can stop worrying. I’m still spoiled as rotten as ever.