I am the host for a Bermuda Government video series, Vaccine Awareness. The objectives are to inform viewers about the COVID-19 vaccine by talking with professionals who know and understand how the vaccines work and answer questions people may have.
The first show was scheduled with three medical professionals.
I’ve been working from home on and off since last March. Given I have all the technology in my dining room, doing the show from another location was not a consideration.
In order to get all guests comfortable and on the same page, we met an hour before the show started. This ensured all technical issues are sorted and we are ready to go live at 6pm.
All was going well until I heard water gushing onto the kitchen floor from the washing machine. I couldn’t move because it was 5:55pm and I was determined to start on time. My husband, Mark, heard the water too and dashed into the kitchen to see what was going on. He then spent the next few minutes running around getting towels. I couldn’t move because we were now 30 seconds to going live.
Despite his efforts, water continued to pour from the washer. I couldn’t watch too closely because I had to keep the interviewees on track and make sure I concentrated on the show. Plus, viewers would have seen I was looking elsewhere distractedly and freaking out during the show.
At some point, I saw Mark grab the mop as the water seeped into the dining room and stop just short of the power strip that held the lifelines to my computers.
It was clear the house – at least the kitchen – was fully flooded and the washer wasn’t going to stop until all the water had been expelled. I couldn’t help or provide suggestions. I had to stay with the show, when all I wanted to know was – what the heck was happening and why did it have to happen now?
There’s nothing like being live with hundreds of people watching while your house is flooding. I had to stay cool. I had to stay poised. I had to stay on topic. Screaming and crying hysterically were not options.
Needless to say, as soon as I ended the broadcast, I dashed into the kitchen to help. I put on my boots to wade in and get the situation under control. Everything in the kitchen had to go outside. The counter stools, the mats, the laundry that had been on the floor waiting to go into the washer. Those clothes too were soaked.
We wrung out the towels and put them back down to sop up the water. It seemed the more we mopped, the more water came. It took two hours of nonstop activity to get everything back to normal.
Then the 30 plus towels were hand-wrung and laid outside on the patio furniture, patio walls and floor to dry out.
Several things are clear – we have way too many beach towels and a good washer repairperson is worth waiting for and more than worth their weight in gold.
In case you are interested in watching the show with the flood.
