Hot water: time for a bath

I got over my initial hesitation over touching the water heater after some helpful advice from friends and family.

First I checked the breaker box. No problems there. Then I found the reset button inside the heater. No results.

My last self-service option was to replace potentially busted heating elements. Brad and I drained the tank (and turned off the power). That was it! The top element had burned out.

I'm glad we never arranged for a plumber. I would have groaned over paying a pro to do what I could.

And on a separate note, I think the previous dog tenant left another bad surprise: fleas.

I had just sprayed the exterior of the house with a pest spray recommended by our Realtor, so a small pest on the floor caught my eye. It wasn't an ant, and when I tried to kill it the little thing jumped. The only thing I could think was it's a flea. That would explain why our cat Rocky is licking himself a lot more than usual.

So I guess Brad and I will enjoy our warm showers, and our cat babies will have to endure a flea treatment.