Dodger sometimes leaves presents in the living room before I get up. So yesterday morning when I got up and walked out there, a strange smell made me look in his usual places. But there were no presents. Still, the living room smelled strange. Kind of like rotten eggs. I couldn’t find the culprit so I got Josie up and we went about our morning.
About an hour later I noticed the smell while I was sitting in the family room. Suddenly my heart jumped. Rotten eggs = gas leak. I jumped up and grabbed Josie. We went and stood out on the back patio while I called Steve to ask his opinion. Dodger was thrilled to be able to run around the yard because I didn’t bother to put him on his dog run. Steve said he didn’t smell anything when he got up but we both know my nose can be more sensitive than his. 
He called the gas company and they said to open some windows and stay out of the house. They would send someone by within a few hours.
So, Josie and I ran back inside to open windows, get dressed quickly, and grab her breakfast and lunch foods. We headed over to my folks house, with Dodger in tow, to wait for the call from the gas company. They’re timing couldn’t have been better. I got a call just after Josie had breakfast and while I was trying to put her down for a nap. I left her with Grammy and Pappaw (thanks again!) and met the technician at the house.
He came in and said he didn’t smell anything (I’d had windows cracked for a while and had doors open before I left) and his little meter thingy didn’t detect anything in the living room. I was starting to feel silly and like I overreacted. I know though that in this instance it’s better to overreact than underreact. He checked the valves on the gas water heater which is located in the laundry room next to the living room and kitchen. What do you know! There was a small leak in the flex connector at the base of the heater. I wasn’t crazy or overreacting at all! He tightened it up for us and that solved the problem inside.
However, he had discovered a different problem on the outside of the house. Apparently some of the neighborhood dogs who are allowed to roam around without a leash (against the law, by the way) have been urinating on our gas meter which was causing it to corrode. He had to replace the meter while he was here. But, our house is safe again and maybe next time I smell rotten eggs in the house it’ll trigger quicker for me that we may have a gas leak.
Remember, if you have natural gas in your house, rotten eggs may mean a gas leak so get out and call the gas company.
Oh, and one more thing. Cats and dogs that you want to remain as your pets should be kept on leashes and not allowed to roam around neighborhoods alone. Not only are they hazards to people driving (we’ve had a real problem lately with a cat that keeps running into the road and laying down) as well as walking (unleashed dogs can be very dangerous), they also do damage to your neighbors’ property in numerous ways. The least of these ways is in using their yard as their own personal bathroom and damaging things such as gas meters. And don’t blame your neighbors’ if your “pets” end up at the humane society looking for a family who wants to take care of them. I’ll step down off of my soap box now. 