TWTW - the one on beach time

Friday I had off, so MFD and I piled the dogs in the car Thursday night and set off for the shore. I worked until about 11 and put out the new plates we got for upstairs. My brother and Aubrey were down with the kids, and my Dad and Carol and Aubrey's parents were down as well. I ended up working until after noon on Friday, so not really a day off, but still at the shore and it ended on the beach so all good. My dad had to be picked up from the Nissan dealership because his car's transmission went. Thank God a dealership was less than 15 miles away. 

We went to the boardwalk at night and hit the arcade, there was hot sauce tasting in a new store on the boards, rides, and I went out on a limb to get peanut butter and mint. The highlight on the way home was the performance of MFD and Aubrey as they sat in the Virtual Reality seats - they drew a crowd. 

Saturday 

I got up to see the sunrise, but there wasn't one. I made greek orzo salad for dinner for dinner and my dad made a big breakfast, then we took a bike ride on the boards with a pit stop at the beach. I took a snooze and then we hit the beach for a few hours. 

Back at the house we discovered a leak in the shower. Of course, so close to the season. My brother grilled but I couldn't eat because I was stressed out. We sang happy birthday to him and had some ice cream cake from A La Mode. I rallied and we had a fun time on the boards, meeting up with Frank & Amanda & Eva for a little, MFD the talk of the town in his Fart Loading tee. 

We collected nine slices along the way home and Aubrey ran a pizza blind taste test for us. It was fun! Then we had a drawing contest Lola ran and rigged. 

Sunday 

Started with new silverware upstairs and the discovery that my bike was stolen overnight. Not locked up, what can you do. Between my dad's transmission, the leak, and the theft, that's three things so we should be good. My dad’s car is being worked on, we think we have a temporary fix for the leak that will get us through the season, and Carol and my Dadare buying me a new bike. I also misplaced my kindle for most of the day so no beach reading of the new book I started Saturday night. Instead I relaxed and played and after we were done on the beach took an outdoor shower and hit the boards with Stephen & Aubrey and the kids (and sans phone) one more time before heading home with MFD and four very tired dogs. 

Weekly food prep: breakfast is breakfast burritos from the freezer. Lunch is egg salad. Snacks are strawberries, cantaloupe, and bell peppers. Dinners are grilled sausage and peppers and I don’t know what else yet. 

It was another awesome weekend. My niece and nephew are the funniest best kids ever. 

Kimmy Foo Foo's birthday was Saturday, we'll be celebrating together next weekend!

How to find and fix a leak in your shower

This post was written by Jesse Hughes. Personally, we've got many water issues in our home ownership pockets, and a shower leak is one. In our neighborhood, it even has a name, the infamous Parkwood Leak.

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It is not unusual to experience a leak in your shower. If it happens to you, then it can be a real inconvenience. One of the worst parts of the problem is locating the source of the leak. You are not going to be able to fix the leak, if you do not know where it’s coming from. It’s important to do this as soon as possible as it does not take long for water to cause costly damage in your home.

Sometimes, finding where a shower leak is coming from can seem like an impossible task. If you are really struggling then you can call professionals such as Plumbing Detectives to give you a hand. If you want to spend some more time trying to locate the leak yourself then here are a few tips that you should find useful.

The first checks to make

The most obvious thing to check, if you think your shower is leaking, is that the doors are closing as they should, or the shower curtain fits properly. This is simple enough to check just by splashing water up against the doors or curtain. Thankfully, this is also simple enough to rectify, by just replacing the curtain or doors.

You may also find that the rubber around the shower door, or the caulking around the base of the shower, may have worn and cracked over time. If the leaks are appearing around areas of wear and tear then you simply need to replace the rubber edging or remove the caulk where it is damaged and re-caulk the area.

How spraying water around the shower can help

If you have tried the obvious things, and not located the source of the leak, you should stand in the shower.You should then begin spraying inside the shower, starting in the area where the shower panels meet the tray. You need to work your way up the shower, checking for any signs of water leaking as you go. If you spot any leakage then this may necessitate the sealing of any gaps, or the replacement of panels if necessary.

Making sure there are no problems with the shower tray

The shower tray area is one of the most common places for a shower to leak; cracks and gaps can appear which allow water to seep though. To check for leaks in the shower tray you should

•  Make sure the shower drain is sealed tight.
•  Fill the shower tray with water using a bucket.
•  Once one inch of water is in the shower tray, check for signs of leaking around the shower and on the ceiling below. Signs may take time to show, depending on the size of the leak.

If you identify that the leak is in the shower tray you can apply sealant around the tray. It’s worth noting that this is usually only a temporary measure and you will probably need to have the tray replaced by a plumber at the end of the day. You should also call a plumber if you do not have any success locating the leak. It could be that you have a problem with the drain of your shower and a plumber will be able to identify and resolve the issue.

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