This is the last month the New Kids are occupying the main house. The male part of the New Kids (I'll call him the New Guy) and I had a contretemps over an unpaid gas bill and an open door. Words were exchanged in anger and apparently no one has ever spoken to him in that way ever before in his life. I'm that scary I guess. Who knew? Now all communication having to do with their tenancy has to go through an intermediary. So this morning just as I was leaving the house to go buy a new washer and dryer, I got a call from the intermediary telling me that the male New Guy called her to inform her that water is leaking from the shower into the basement. I went over and took a look in the basement and sure enough the basement floor is wet. I looked around for a dripping pipe or some other source of leaking water and could detect none. I called my friend Joe at Joe's AAA Drain & Sewer Cleaners and he was here in half an hour.
Joe asked me to got upstairs and run the shower. This is the first time I've walked through the main house since they've moved in. I'm in shock. I've never seen a filthier house. The shower probably hasn't been cleaned since they moved in. I ran water and no, it isn't the shower that's the culpret, it's the washing machine drain. Joe's been working on it for a half an hour and it isn't clearning. I don't dare talk to the male New Kid since he thought I was horrible about the unpaid gas bill (since paid) and now will have nothing to do with me. I'm so fucking mad I'm shaking as I type this. How can people live in a house littered with trash. Everything in the bathroom is on the floor: wet towels, dirty clothes and debris of an unknown origin. The house smells bad. I'm shaking with anger and I know I can't get into it with the New Guy who is now home and feigning total innocence (ignorance) which seems fake to me.
Joe had his assistant ran water into the washing machine and that drain is plugged so bad Joe can't get it to clear. He asked me to check the kitchen drain. When I looked at the kitchen sink it looked like someone had been dumping a months worth of coffee grounds in the drain. I reached in to move the coffee ground looking stuff and it turned out to be several inches of backed up crap (possibly literally, since it is very slimy and stinky). Now I want to throttle the 6' 6" New Guy. He came home while we were trying to find the source of the plug and is Mister Innocent, all wide eyed and way too pleasant. I can't express my anger or disgust with the state of the house and the plumbing. I obviously will have to postpone the washer/dryer purchase until the plumbing problem is solved. I suspect sabotage. I suspect passive-aggressive bullshit as payback for my speaking harshly to The New Guy. I'm trying very hard not to say anything that will piss him off any more than he is already pissed off.
It's looking like I'll have to get a line of credit against the house and replace the sewer line. It will require digging up the sewer line and that will require a backhoe in the backyard. I had plans to spend tomorrow with my friend who has MS. We were planning a trip to Costco. I have a feeling I'll be spending tomorrow at the bank and then taking bids on a major construction/plumbing job. Anybody know a good plumber?
Midday Palate Cleanser
5 hours ago
