god's laughter is ringing in my ears

when i get to work today, the water cooler has overheated. or something. the entire unit is hot. the sparkletts bottle on top of the unit is partially full of scalding hot water. everything is hot.

so my plan is to open the pressure valve and see if something is stopping up the unit, causing it to overheat, then replace the valve and go about my day.

i know. sounds like i know what i'm talking about. and sounds like i'm some kind of awesome handy-girl.

alas.

for some reason i didn't equate the fact that every part of the water COOLER is scalding hot with the fact that the water that would come spouting out of the valve might also, just maybe, be scalding as well.

SO.

the water comes pouring out. like frickin a million degrees. i can't get the valve plug back in because it is too hot.

SO.

i attempt to unplug the unit. of course, do i dry my hands or make sure i'm not standing in a puddle of water? NO. why would i do a silly thing like that??

SO.

i get electrocuted. enough to make my finger buzz but not enough to do any damage of any sort except to my dwindling self-esteem that i can fix something as silly as a water cooler.

SO.

i ask my co-worker to unplug it. which she does. and the water gets less hot. and eventually stops. of course, i have already dropped the valve plug thingy into the scalding water. TWICE. oh, of course i fished it out the first time. AND OF COURSE i didn't put it anywhere where it couldn't drop into the bucket of water.

SO.

finally, i get the plug in. the valve closed. a little of my dignity back.

and then i cried a little.

actually, i cried a very little when i first got electrocuted because...well, because it is

FREAKIN SCARY!!!

and then i cried afterwards. just a teensy bit. because, god help me, there was nothing else i could do.

so goodbye 2008. with all of your year-ending electronics/appliances failures, attempting to send me to the nut house.

don't let the door hit you on the way out...