Every Day Matters: Come one....come all!

For three weeks Brian has been trying to get a hold of our landlady. I say Brian, because I wasn't as concerned as he was about the constant sound of water running through the pipes. But last Thursday he called and asked me to call the water company to see what they could do about it. Find the water meter and I could determine if there was a leak, and how bad the leak was. They tried and tried and tried to help me locate the water meter. I failed and failed and failed to find it. Trying not to sound like a broken record "it's not here!" (or stupid) I told them I'd call them on Friday if we still couldn't find it, and enlisted my neighbors' help. Still no luck.
Friday was busy...it was Father's Day weekend after all, and there was lots to do, none of which included looking for the water meter again. Although, I did drive by our landlady's house and knocked. No answer. Saturday and Sunday were filled with other things (such as celebrating our fabulous fathers!) Monday: We drove by landlady's house again, left another message after we saw her driving in her car and headed to Disneyland. (FUN!) Tuesday: I called our landlady again. My message said, "Betty, we really need to talk to you about this water leak! Please call us!" After my message I found standing water outside my kitchen window. It was so deep it was flooding my little patch of ground cover clover and killing it.
Finally, she called.
Long story short:
Betty came with an irrigation guy last night. (probably thought it had something to do with the sprinklers)
Brian touched the water: Hot (water heater is on the other side of the wall where the standing water is, but there's no sign on or around the w/h of a leak.
Wednesday morning (this morning):
8:00am Betty arrives
8:30 Joe Plumber and his assistant Carlos arrive
9:00 I call water company again...because the plumbers can't find the water meter either. (Suddenly I don't feel so stupid)
9:30 Water District Team #1 arrives with a shovel
10:00 Water District Team #2 arrives with some fancy yellow beeping sticks
10:30 Water District Team #3 arrives with a guy whose beard goes to his chest. Walks to where the other men are searching, takes 2 steps to the left and taps the lid with his pole. (He used to read the meter 'back in the day')
10:31 Water District Team #3 leaves.
10:32 Water District Team #2 tells me they'll have someone come out and chop a pathway from the road to the meter. Um...okay.

from left to right: Team #2, Team #2, Team #1, Team #3

12:45 Chopping team arrives and makes a lovely 'pathway' from the road to the meter.

Rosemary bush 'before' picture (taken in the spring)

Ethan is standing on that blasted water meter that evaded all of us but the bearded dude.

meanwhile: the plumbers locate the leak (in a slab that feeds the master bathroom hot water)...takes dishwasher out, cuts holes in the wall behind the dishwasher, cuts a hole under the sink in the 2nd bathroom, and another one under the sink in the master bathroom.
3:33 plumbers leave...back again tomorrow or Friday to patch the drywall.