Please read all directions carefully before proceeding

Remember that quiz that teachers handed out in middle school? The one page worksheet that started out with Before beginning this quiz, please read all questions and directions carefully...then at the end of the quiz, you are directed to skip all questions, write your name in the upper right hand corner of the paper, put down your pencil and look up.

So, I did not read all directions carefully this time. OK. So I can't read Mandarin at all, but someone in this household can and does. At the very least, we should have noticed the existence of the large print signs taped to the inside of the elevator wall and to the bulletin board in the lobby. We have 17 flights up and down each day to realize management wants us to know something very important. For example, they may want to inform us that the water is going to be shut off for several hours over the weekend and as a resident of this building we may want to kindly take any necessary precautions.

Now I can't use "no cleaning" or even "not more than one load of laundry in a day" as an excuse to preserving our water supply.