Is Mercury in Retrograde? Or a series of mishaps/irritants/conundrums

I don't know where to start but I have to start somewhere. Yes, yes, I know this is trivial compared to the ordeal Ces et al. endured in Sulu. And it's really trivial compared to what the victims of the sinking of The Princess ferry went through. Still these are my current irritants, so I have to vent.

Last Friday, I was due to see my ninang gown. But I wasn't able to go so I called Saturday morning and was told it would be ready by 2 pm. Imagine, had I gone Friday as scheduled, I'd have gone for naught.

So Saturday pm, I went to the shop that made my dress at around 3 pm. Wow, from the doorway I saw my gown and it wasn't at all pretty. I couldn't help but tell my husband, "Ang pangit. HIndi maganda." I didn't bother to convince myself that it looked all right because it didn't. Sure, I'm partly to blame because I have a shapeless body, blimp-like. But the gown was just so blah. I should have taken its picture.

When the design was presented to me two weeks earlier, it looked good. But executed, wow, it was yucky. V-neckline. FIne. Wrap-around sort of, fine. Pleats on one side of the skirt, fine. Sleeves - two layers pwede na. But flowers of the same cloth as the gown, lots of them -yuck. And the flowers' petals were flying everywhere. Think of butterfly wings flapping on Jolina's head way back when she was aping Punky Brewster. Not just one butterfly, but a farm-ful. But in my gown's case, a bush-ful. The gown looked like a negligee's robe. The cloth to begin with was light, not chiffon-transparent or translucent, but light nonetheless.

The shop owner wasn't around but the girl who attended to me was solicitous enough (practice makes perfect?). She suggested removing the flowers. I said yes please. I was worried doing that would make the holes where they were sewn evident, she assured me they wouldn't be. What next? She suggested putting beads. I said ok.

Oh another thing. while I'd have preferred a skirt and blouse, they made it a gown with a cut in the waist. Like I said I have a blimp for a body so I couldn't imagine myself in it. I asked if they could make the top a blouse but then it would be too short, they said. Then the gay tailor(?) came out with a sketch. The bottom portion of the blouse would consist of two layers like the sleeves. The sleeves were bell-like, the blouse would have a graduated hem. I'm not sure I'm describing what the design looked like well enough. Oh well. They also suggested putting beads on the sleeves, the hem and the waist - on one side. I asked for a collar. As I thought of the design when I got home I wasn't sure I'd like how it turned out. Texted the shop owner and she said she'd redesign it so I'd like it. I hope she does. Two things I asked for: simple but elegant. Will keep you posted.

This experience mirrors what my niece who's getting married told me when I suggested she have a wedding gown made. She said "no way". She'd rather buy off the rack. She had two horror stories to tell and one stood out: a friend of hers didn't like the gown made by a known designer so she ended up wearing something else on her wedding day. In the event that my gown doesn't turn out to my liking, I just might skip the wedding. It's no joke to look frumpy on such a special occasion.

Travail No. 2: Last week, got my water bill. It was higher than the previous month's. So I told the maids to slow down on consumption. For one, though I had told them several times not to use the water hose anymore, one time I caught one of them hosing the dog's you know what with it. So imagine what a waste of water that is. The faucet is some distance from the dog so while the maid walks to the faucet to turn it off, some water is wasted. Anyway, one day last week, when I returned from shopping, they gave me the news. They tested the toilets and found out that even when no one was using any, the water meter was "moving". So they experimented and determined the culprit. the yellow bathroom. Promptly, I called the maintenance man of where my husband works and he checked the system. He adjusted it, no change. He suggested the control be closed when not in use and said possibly, the problem was with the water pipes underneath. The maids were flummoxed. they insisted the problem was with the water closet in the yellow toilet.

So I called an architect friend who sent his plumber. The plumber recommended changing the toilet fittings of the 3 toilets because they were all run down. He was an old man so I thought he knew everything. I bought the necessary stuff and he came to replace the old ones. Thing is, when he was done, problem persisted. Worse, where before the meter didn't move if the controls were closed, now it moved even if the controls were closed. Hayyyyyyyyyyy. what do do? I don't know. I asked him he said, maybe the pipes underneath. Back to square 1.

Pipes underneath - bakbak/major undertaking. Tiles would have to be removed and replaced. New pipes put in, no longer underground but they'd have to be concealed by some tiles. darn, darn, darn.

I'll have the project estimated for cost but no guarantee there that I'll have it done. Unless I win the lotto or a windfall from who knows where drops on my lap?