The CEO Decides, Part 2

In just a few minutes a roofing contractor will arrive, and all because I was unable to repair or to even diagnose the problem that developed during the heavy rainstorms last week and that caused part of the ceiling to swell and drip and swell some more until it finally broke free and fell to the floor. I've covered the open area with a scrap of plywood.

This won't be the first roofing contractor to come out, so I don't have high expectations. The other guys have just held up their hands and walked away without even estimating the job, as though rain water was some supernatural and magical force better left alone. Even a completely new roof, one guy told me, might not solve the problem. How crazy is that?

So this weekend I decided to solve the mystery for myself, to climb up on the roof with a water hose and squirt here and there while Cheryl watched from inside for a drip--a dumb idea because water moves from the roof to the ceiling by slowly wicking through the rafters, like a sponge. I knew this. It moves sideways, all ways, through the wood. I knew this. Or at least part of my brain knew this.

Another part of my brain told me that I should definitely not climb up on the roof. It has very strong feelings about high places.

The CEO (my conscious mind) ignored all this advise and decided to climb up and squirt. I can only guess that he was motivated by the thought of saving a few bucks, which is what you might expect from the CEO. Sad.

I took the small step ladder onto our balcony and climbed to the top step. Even so, I would have to jump, or squirm a little, to get up over the edge, which meant that I would have to do the opposite on the way down. Once committed to the top, I would have no choice than to come down or call for a helicopter to get me. So I hopped up and it was done.

I squirted and squirted in the area above the leak, probably for 15 minutes (probably longer, just to avoid the thought of coming down), but nothing happened inside. Time to get down.

More later.