Specific Heat must die

Let's just say that today isn't going to go on record as the best morning of my life.

I woke at 7, still a little sore from Saturday, but readied myself to go to the gym and was back to the room by 8:15, where my shower awaited. Or so I thought.

I'm one of those people who finds it difficult to move quickly in the shower, which is usually a bit of an annoyance to everyone around me. My shower sloth turned out to be a blessing this morning, as I was just reaching for the shampoo when the water suddenly cut off.

Not the hot water. The water.

Wet and pissed, I tried banging on the wall for a moment, then gave it up, noticed that the faucets were similarly non-functional, and dried off. Fine, I thought, I'll eat breakfast and give Specific Heat a moment to do whatever they're doing that necessitates turning off my water.

At 8:45, the water had yet to return, and so, now in a fine temper, I marched down to the office in my polo shirt and sandals to find out what the problem was. The supervisor explained that Specific Heat had accidentally cut the main.

"When's the water going to be back?" I asked, trying to control myself.
"They don't know. It was an accident."
"Did anyone bother to think that 8:30 AM is probably not the best time to be messing with the water supply?" I muttered through clenched teeth. "We've got class!"
"It was an accident," was all she could tell me, and so, thinking things about Specific Heat that my mother wouldn't approve of, I returned to the room and tried to decide what was to be done. Class at 10, hair wet but still dirty...then I hit upon it.

I knew that gym membership had to be good for something.

I returned to my room at 9:30, having showered and dried my hair at the gym, and made it to class in good time, where I knitted for a few minutes to lower my blood pressure. The knitting and the caffeine couldn't stave off the headache that developed, however, and I left at noon with a throbbing head and a list of errands to run.

About thirty dollars lighter, I finally escaped the post office queue minus my application for an International Driving Permit ($15 for the IDP, $5.25 for expedited return, and £5 for express mailing it to Florida). I returned to the building and checked my mail, where a note - delayed almost a month - from Accommodation awaited.

They've seen our petition. They haven't heard of any disturbances due to Specific Heat, so no, they're not going to reduce our rent.

I'd pound my head against the wall, but that wouldn't help my headache.