adventures in house/dog sitting

So, I think I've mentioned that Oldest is house/dog sitting for a week or so, yes?
Well, he is and I've been thinking on him for a few days as he left with some trepidation.
Oldest has lived on his own before but it was a long time ago and he was younger and his anxiety levels were lower.
When he left last week he seemed anxious and I've kept in touch, just a little, to see how he's doing.

Friday evening he phoned to say he smelled gas in the apartment. K explained that he could call the power company or the fire department if the smell was strong and asked what he was doing before he smelled the gas. Oldest explained that there were small flames on the stove top burners and he felt certain that that could not be safe or correct and blew them out. K gave him a lesson on pilot lights, Oldest re-lit the little flames and all was well.

Saturday evening, Oldest called to say the apartment had lost power. K asked if any of the other apartments in the building had lost power, Oldest said it was only his. K asked what he was doing when the power went out and Oldest said he had plugged in a heater. They determined a fuse or circuit was blown and K described how to fix it. But first Oldest had to find the fuse box, which I offered might be in the loo or in a closet or hallway. Quite a while later Oldest texted to say the fuse box was in the ceiling. Power was restored with a flip of a switch.

Sunday night, we were about to sit down to dinner with some friends when Oldest called from a phone number not known to me. He had locked himself out of the apartment. A neighbor had loaned him a phone. Call the landlord we said. He did. Happily, the landlord showed up in 15 minutes and was a friendly and nice fellow. Problem solved.

What will Monday bring, I wonder.
Locusts?

Comments

NorahS said…
Sounds like a learning experience.Glad he is taking the chance. Locusts! Could be...
tracy said…
Really, there is just so much to learn...I will never forget the first time the power went out in my house. I am so glad that life has changed and now it is just switches and I don't have to freak out about those wires that sit in the drawers wrapped around pieces of cardboard just waiting for a dark and stormy night.
kmkat said…
I did the exact same thing with the stove burners in an early apartment. My roommates and I all left for work and later the landlord, who lived above us, smelled the gas and came down to investigate. Happily, he was not a smoker or there would have been a very nasty end to the story.
Scot said…
Who the hell puts a fuse box in the ceiling?
marian said…
Easy fixes all. Good for him for venturing out!!!
Paola said…
I am with Scot ... that's insane. Also, K can solve any problem, you are a lucky gal!
Anonymous said…
Well, I would have called you for all of those things too, and I am a grown woman with fair to middling anxiety levels. And I would especially call during plague-like condidtions.

jbhat