Cool Water

HP:

Hi. I am HP, Katharine’s computer – over worked and underpaid, I might add. (And the storer of some really profound stuff… and some, pretty weird.)

I have been unused today until about 9:15 PM. She comes in here to her desk and begins pounding away on me.  Seems something is amiss. She is upset, and writes, furiously (not to be confused with fast):

Katharine:

This morning, in my neighborhood, there was a major problem with our water main. SAWS (San Antonio Water System) to the rescue. They have been up the street all day, workimh…

HP:

uh oh, here she goes…her eyes are closing and her head slowly slumps and… she’s asleep – forehead on desk. I swear, I think she could sleep standing up. Anyway, she snoozes for a while then jerks awake. Whoops, a little drool, there. She continues.

Katharine:

 It is now, as I write, 9:30 PM. I had walked up there to the site at about 6:30 to see if there was any chance of our getting water tonight. They had dug this trench in our newly paved street probably 6 feet deep and I’d guess about 12 ft long. A whole bunch of hard hats were back and forthing down there and el jeffe, up above the pit, was giving orders. He saw me standing nearby and walked over. I asked him if he thought we’d have water back on tonight. He assured me we would have water in two hours.  That was three hours ago and still no water. At least, not in my house.

The street is a different matter. A river is floating happily down the street. I went out and looked. From the street light, the water was full of white-ish mud. Isn’t that nice, a muddy river outside and dry-as-a-bone pipes in my house. Before you ask, I did not fill the bathtub before I left for the day because I thought the water would be back on by the time I got home.

HP:

 Right. She was thinking, just not long term.

Katharine:

Now, I’m back at my desk. I hear doors slamming outside. I went, again, to see if they were leaving.  Nope, the cavalry has arrived. More trucks. Down the street water is gushing in a big arc. Everything’s all lit up with lights. Lots of big trucks. They’ll probably be working past midnight. Muy grande problema.

HP:

She’s been back in the chair only five minutes and she’s off to La-La Land again… head down on her chest, this time. She must start dreaming really quick because she mumbles. Usually I can understand her,(and she’s had some pre-tty strange dreams) but this time I can’t. You know, it’s getting late. I wouldn’t mind a little sleep, myself (that’s what she leaves me on, sleep mode. It’s very nice.) Suddenly, she chuckles and wakes herself up. She looks puzzled, like ‘what was I chuckling about?’ And starts talking to herself, which She does, a lot.

Katharine:

….10:35 PM. I’m going to get ready for bed. Think I’ve been dozing. Going to see if I can brush my teeth.

HP:

I can hear her going around the house turning out lights. I have super hearing, you know. HP computers really got our name from “Hears Perfectly.”  She must have gone in the bathroom and turned on the faucet, because she says,

Katharine:

Bless their pea-pickin’ hearts! AGUA!!! Yikes! It fairly exploded out of the faucet! What was that song my father used to sing all the time when he was shaving …with the Sons of the Pioneers? Oh yeah…Cool Water. Let’s see if I remember…

HP:

And she literally, starts singing!

Katharine:

“All day I've faced a barren waste
Without the taste of water, co-oo-ool water (echo: water)
Old Dan and I with throats burned dry
And souls that cry for water (echo: water)
Cool, clear, water.

HP:

She must have started brushing her teeth because it sounds like she’s got a mouthful of toothpaste:

Katharine:

Kee- a-movin, Dan, don’t-a listen to ‘im, Dan
E's a devil, nah a man and
He spreads the burning sand with water… (spit)

HP:

She’s still singin’:

Katharine:

I can’t remember how the rest of it goes

And I suppose I really, oughta

Forget about water, wahhhh-ter.

HP:

Well, she gets like this sometime. She’s sort of a kook, but, oh, look.  She left me on, so I can say toodle-oo, buenos noches, hasta manana.

Hmmm, I better put myself in sleep mode. Keep a’movin, Dan, dontcha listen to ‘im, Dan – catchy toon - - -zzzzzzzzz

HP:

whoops she's back on.

Katharine:

Note to self: check all hoses – see if any left on when water was turned off by SAWS.    Keep a’movin’ Dan – love that son….ZZZZZZ