March 31, 2005
Ahhh!
The Sears guy showed up yesterday morning (early!) to look at my water heater and took less than 20 seconds to conclude that "we need to order you a new tank" - duh! And it cost me $55 to get that 
He was actually very friendly and professional and nearly restored my faith in Sears to provide reasonable customer service.
He got it ordered and about an hour later they called to let me know it was available for pick up - Yay!!!
I called SG in the afternoon to let him know, and before I even left work he had gone by my house to get the paperwork he needed and picked up the heater. By the time I got home he was well into the project. Just a bit later, and with a minimum amount of frustration on his part it seemed (despite some challenges presented by location and the size of the new tank), the tank was filling and heating. 
I took SG for a sushi dinner last night (OK, sushi for him, teriyaki chicken for me) as a start on thanking him. It works out as a bonus for me, though, 
'cause I love going out with him
This morning I took a long, very hot, very wonderful shower. In my own shower. I have been fortunate to be able to shower elsewhere this week, including the office. There is just something to be said for your own set up, especially for a girl.