Venus Cloacina — the goddess who hates me

I am not a superstitious person but it’s obvious to me that Venus Cloacina is out to get me.

Yesterday marked the third time I returned from a trip to discover water damage in my house, necessitating a call to the plumber. Each time, the damage has been unrelated to anything I’ve done. That is, I haven’t left faucets running or unscrewed the wrong things or done anything else that might be expected to trigger a water disaster.

The first time, a storm found its way through an improperly sealed window. The whole kitchen had grown mold from the damage while I was still away. It had to be torn out and, because of labor problems in the Bay Area, it took nine months to replace the kitchen. That wasn’t really a plumbing problem but I did need to get all the plumbing redone in my kitchen.

The second time a valve exploded immediately upon our walking into the house from a trip. We were able to get the plumber on that one quickly, thank goodness.

This time, the safety valve behind the guest bathroom toilet gave up the ghost while I was on an overnight trip. I only noticed the problem when I did because, while watching Tucker last night after coming home, I happened to glance up at the ceiling and noticed the blisters that had formed in the paint. The ceiling drywall in that area is going to need to be replaced or else I’ll have that mold problem again.

Anyway, no blogging today. Dealing with the plumber and the insurance company is taking up all my extra time.

I’m also thinking I should never leave home again because it’s quite obvious that Venus Cloacina, the ancient Roman goddess of plumbing (or, more specifically, of Rome’s major sewer line) is angry at me. I don’t know why but, given water damage and subsequent plumbing costs this is what I’m obviously dealing with.