the aquapacolypse

A week ago, well eight days to be exact, a major water main broke in Weston, MA, resulting in a boil water order for the greater Boston area. The order remained in effect for about two and a half days, which ordinarily would not have been that big of a deal. However, sufficient panic ensued as residents feverishly depleted the grocery store shelves of bottled water and any and all disposable dinnerware and eating utensils. Eventually, the governor of Massachusetts officially declared a state of emergency in the greater Boston area.

The concept of a state of emergency seemed silly to me at the time. Sure the boil water order was an inconvenience, but most of the outcry in the media appeared to stem from Starbucks' and Dunkin' Donuts' inabilities to brew coffee. However, I do realize that for individuals with limited resources and perhaps an inability to boil their own water, the contamination of public water supplies is a dangerous encumbrance on their already difficult daily lives.

Personally, the boil water order made life a bit difficult to manage. In maintaining my heart-healthy diet, I rely on cooking and preparing fresh food on a daily basis. Without water this becomes a little tough but not impossible. Where the boil water order really complicated life was doing the dishes. Having to wash and rinse everything with pre-boiled water wasn't exactly easy. Thankfully, I have a few tricks up my sleeve to prepare a meal without dirtying any dishes - or so I discovered.