September 24, 2011

Dear Cyndy,

Thank you for your letter. I'm getting old; off-hand I can't remember our most recent epistolary exchange, and my memory isn't helped by an almost sleepless night. 

Klemens telephoned last night. The brown manila envelope from Mr. Esposito had arrived in our School Street mailbox and Klemens read to me Mr. Esposito's answers - yes, no - 60 some questions spread over 13 pages.  Significantly, Mr. Esposito refused his signature, and provided me with an unsigned memorandum which I couldn't file with the Court even if I wanted to. I will attach a copy on which I have typed his written answers, which though not entirely favorable, would on balance probably help rather than hurt my case.  When I review this document with Mr. Esposito at the time of deposition, as I intend to, I hope to be able to persuade the Court if not Mr. Esposito himself of his misconceptions, both with respect to engineering and to law. It will be very interesting, but also very difficult. (Please don't feel obligated to spend any time at all on the questionnaire.)

I've spent much of the past six days writing chapter 47 of Die Freunde, which is now on my website. I enjoyed the process of composition; I take pleasure in reading and rereading what I have written, but I can't in good conscience - and good taste - recommend my ruminations to others, the circumstance that you don't read German easily is no loss.

An interlude day before yesterday, Thursday morning, when we awoke to find the floors of both bathrooms covered with water. Water leaked through the floor into the basement which even today is left with pools of water on the concrete. Fortunately the oak floors were spared. In fact the only significant damage was to the sixty page chain saw instruction booklet, which now interleaved with pieces of paper towel, is still drying out. My first thought: inferior workmanship by that unlicensed plumber. Water from a broken pipe which seeped from one bathroom to the adjacent one.  a thought that occurred early in the morning when my mind wasn't ready to think straight. My first move: into the basement to turn off the power to the submersible pump in the well, presented me with the surprise that the needle on the pressure gauge pointed to "0". How could water be pouring out of the pipes if it was under no pressure at all? I threw the switch nonetheless, and observed the needle retreating. It had in fact moved "around the clock", and had been registering a pressure not of 0 but of 100 mm Hg or higher. The entire system, the pump, the pressure tank, the hot water tank and all the pipes had tolerated the pressure, only the plastic connections to the two toilet tanks had leaked. I've replaced the pressure switch with no interference from any Mr. Ciarmataro, and now my plumbing system is again functioning normally.

I think often, - and have many thoughts about your eye problems. I hope all goes well for you. Please give my best to Ned.

Jochen

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