Block the Line

A few weeks ago our tub started singing to us, "blook, blook, blook!" Although annoying, we didn't think much of it, until a week later when SSB brought some tools to the basement.

Well, I won't go into details, but apparently when your tub starts singing, you should worry.

We checked the internet for possible reasons. There were two possible sources for our problem: blocked vent or blocked sewer line.

The blocked vent seemed simpler to fix, so to the roof we went. With a sewer snake, we checked the vent for blockage. As I was about to feed the snake into the vent, I told SSB that he should be prepared to move out of my way if a squirrel came shooting out. No squirrel, and although we did find a little compost in the vent from old leaves, not much else.

To the basement. Our access to the sewer line was easy enough to find. It is was actually in our basement next to the furnace and water heater. We did find some blockage in the line, as the snake hit a dead end. We guessed that the blockage most likely was from tree roots as there is a hug white pine right over our line.

We went to the hardware store and got some root killer. We had done some research and read that since we could have an old cast iron sewer line, we would want to stay away from the copper sulfate killers. The copper sulfate can corrode pipes and really do damage on older pipes. So we got a non-copper sulfate foaming killer.

It said that you could flush it down the toilet, but I wasn't willing to take the chance of this "foaming" chemical frothing out of my toilet all over the bathroom. We just dumped it into the sewer access, screwed the cover back on and then flushed the toilet a couple of times. It took two bottles of the stuff put in the line a week apart, and we were actually thinking that we were going to have to call the sewer guys, but SSB was in the basement checking the laundry tub while the washer drained (we had to make sure that we weren't getting overflow when ever we drained the tub, sink or washer; and we could only do a 1/2 load of laundry every 8 hours!) and it started to fill as usual, then he heard a "whoosh" and we have been clear ever since.

I never thought I'd be so happy to actually do laundry!

Seeing the Light of Day

I have been a very busy girl. I'm not working more hours -- but I am getting more sleep! It is really nice to see people still checking in on me even though I have been so very vacant from the blogosphere. My computer has been in bits since some time before the beginning of the year, so it has been tough getting computer time to get anything done properly. SSB promises to have the computer done sometime soon. Yep. Any day now.

This year is the earliest we have gotten our taxes done since we quit paying someone to do it (what a waste paying someone else to do it is!). We still did not get them done in time to get in on the first round of rebates. Soon, though. Although I think that the rebates are too little too late to really do much good for the economy, I must say that it is the very idea that I have been preaching about for years -- if you really want to stimulate the economy, don't give money to the rich hoping they'll spend it; give the money to those who will REALLY spend it -- the lower class!

I convinced my boss to let me hire SSB to help me. I tried to get her to let me hire him last summer, but she wasn't having it. No problem this time. And what a great idea that was, I must say! I'm finally getting out from under the HUGE piles of work that have been piling up around me since last summer. It feels so good to finally see the light of day again.

The Planets Are Aligning

--I just got another happy email about our trip this summer -- we will be able to stay at the palace/castle where I went to school! I was really hoping to be able to show my family the place that I stayed, they are going to love it!

--JD got a solo part in jazz band. Just last week he was complaining how there were no solo parts for his position on sax. YAY, JD!

--And finally, It looks like there might be a full-time day opening at the library soon. I may or may not be interested in it -- and it may be out of my hands anyway. Current employees get get first choice. The woman who took the night position (the job that I turned down) has the potential of transfering into that job before I'd even have a chance to apply -- which would leave the night position open again; but we've already established that I don't want that job. SO, it looks like if I had taken that job, I couldv'e been in a day position by the end of the year. And you know what, I really don't regret my decision. So now I KNOW I made the right decision!

"This is what you eat before you eat, to make you more hungry."

I just got the confirmation email on our stopover in Iceland --

We get to stay 5 days! I'm so excited! It's like a vacation appetizer.


--BTW The title is one of my favorite lines from South Park. Click the link to read the script to episode. Hilarious!

Pharmaceutical Reps Are People Too!

When you get enough liquor in them, boy are they a hoot!

SSB and I attended another drug dinner -- with an OPEN BAR!!! SCORE!!!

The food was phenomenal and served family style which made it feel even more like a party atmosphere. We actually didn't talk much about the drugs that each of the reps were hocking. In fact, I almost forgot why we were there in the first place.

Most of the reps gathered around SSB and I as we ate, as we are just that frickin' entertaining! One of the reps preceded everything he said with, "At the risk of a little self disclosure..." Well, come on, you know what follows is going to be interesting! Another overheard us talking about Wii and began picking us for information. He confessed that although he likes video games, his wife says he's too old to play. I pshawed that! We proceeded to get him all drooly over Wii, and when he heard that there was a Zelda for Wii, he got all dreamy-eyed, like he was going back in time, muttering, "Yeah, Zelda is great." Another rep was asking us for computer tips making us feel all geeky -- it was fabulous! Another was complaining how she had to go on the road with this rep that kept trying to pick up every woman he met. Another picked up that topic to concur that the man was embarrassing to be around. He asked us, "How could you work with someone like that. I just want to ask him if he knows how embarrassing he is." I told him that he should audio tape him and play it back to him. He got all giddy with the scenario in his head of the play-back to this guy.

We ate a lot, we drank a lot, we laughed a lot. I don't remember the last time that I had that much fun with a bunch of strangers, let alone drug reps! I can't wait for the next one!