InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Has Lost been cancelled yet?"

joanwilder aka RaeWhit (joanwilder) wrote,
@ 2009-07-06 02:32:00

Entry tags:

criznap

Rotorooter owns my ass
So, I got home from my trip to the U.K. a few weeks ago, and the morning after, I stuck a load of laundry in the washer. The water flooded my basement floor when it drained. Yeah, welcome home, Joan.

So I called trusty Rotorooter, hoping they'd get it open, but they couldn't. After they put down their nifty little camera-thingy, they discovered that our main drain from the house to the street had been broken up by tree roots and had to be replaced. I sat at my kitchen table and cried when the poor guy gave me the estimate. Imagine a low, five-digit figure...

This was a ten-foot deep trench, just outside my living room window.

Lovely view of our investment from the street

My husband and I have often said that if it weren't for cars and plumbing, we'd be rich. Oh, yeah, and kids--college educations, etc. Not that I'm complaining about the kids. And hey, I shouldn't really complain about anything at all. We have a roof over our heads, clothes on our backs, and food to eat. So much better off than most of the world. So, shut up, Joan.

On a happier note, I recently noticed several large, flowering vines in my front yard, close to the walkway. I thought they might be watermelons, from when I made my husband and daughter eat their watermelon outside last summer and they spit their seeds into the yard. But then I figured it out today. There was a little rabbit that I fed all winter (named Mr. Goodbar, because I was always looking to see if he was still around), and the plants are in the exact location where I used to feed him rabbit food and pumpkin seeds. So, yeah, these're pumpkin plants! When I think of all the years I tried to grow them and never managed... Now it looks like I have an 'accidental' pumpkin patch!

(Post a new comment)

	septentrion1970 2009-07-06 06:40 am UTC (link)
	Oh dear, it's spectacular. On the other hand, they found out what the problem was very quick. Imagine if they hadn't? Will the pumpkins be available for Halloween? (Reply to this) (Thread)

	joanwilder 2009-07-07 01:17 am UTC (link)
	You're right, or imagine if it'd been winter and the ground frozen?! If I get pumpkins, I'll post a pic! (Reply to this) (Parent)

	gingertart50 2009-07-06 09:48 am UTC (link)
	Oh noes! hugs What a mess. Perhaps pumpkin seeds need to be nibbled or manured by wabbits in order to germinate? (Reply to this) (Thread)

	joanwilder 2009-07-07 01:18 am UTC (link)
	Well, the mess is mostly cleaned up now--my poor husband has to re-landscape it now. I think you're right about the pumpkin seeds being 'recycled' by the rabbit! (Reply to this) (Parent)

	torino10154 2009-07-06 11:39 am UTC (link)
	Oh my! What an unwelcome welcome home. Pumpkins sound great though! We do have watermelon plants. My son actually successfully grew seeds from a trip to a farm last year. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	joanwilder 2009-07-07 01:19 am UTC (link)
	Even so, I was so happy to be home. But there went my plans to make up for the money I spent on my trip. See, at first I thought they were watermelons, until I remembered Mr. Goodbar. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	katiebell_0408 2009-07-06 12:33 pm UTC (link)
	Damn, that's not what anyone wants to spend their money on. Hope the pumpkins are the beginning of lots of good things for you guys. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	joanwilder 2009-07-07 01:19 am UTC (link)
	Thanks! If I get a pumpkin, I'll post a pic! (Reply to this) (Parent)

	synn 2009-07-06 12:56 pm UTC (link)
	hugs I'm sorry -- that really sucks but hurray for pumpkins! (Reply to this) (Thread)

	joanwilder 2009-07-07 01:20 am UTC (link)
	yes, yay for pumpkins! A little unexpected LOL and warm fuzzies! (Reply to this) (Parent)

	rons_pigwidgeon 2009-07-06 01:17 pm UTC (link)
	Okay, I think I would cry. We had a tree root issue a couple of years ago, but thankfully if never resulted in anything remotely as large-scale. Has it at least been sorted out now and all the dirty been put back (silly to ask, I know, but plumbers in my area are known to conveniently 'forget' to do clean-up)? (Reply to this) (Thread)

	joanwilder 2009-07-07 01:20 am UTC (link)
	It's all put back, but it was a huge mounded path of dirt, so my husband has his work cut out for him, poor guy. (Reply to this) (Parent)

hambares
2009-07-06 04:01 pm UTC (link)

Yuck! I am afraid that the problem you had is the exact same problem we have been dealing with in regards to the laundry machine flodding the laundry room. I solved it for now by just watching for teh drain cycles and opening the lid at regular intervals to let things drain slowly. I think we will have to take that 5 fugure plunge soon though because I want my kids to start helping with the laundry and they will never be attentive enough to listen for the drain cycle. UGH!

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	joanwilder 2009-07-07 01:22 am UTC (link)
	We didn't have a choice with our drain. The camera showed it was about to completely close, so we would've been putting off the inevitable, and I'm not very fond of laundromats. I'd rather schedule an expense like this than have it an emergency, though. And I wouldn't have cried. g (Reply to this) (Parent)

	witchdragon 2009-07-06 04:30 pm UTC (link)
	hugs I so sorry. Life is expensive :( Yay for the pumpkins! (Reply to this) (Thread)

	joanwilder 2009-07-07 01:23 am UTC (link)
	Houses are expensive. Just when you think you're set, WHAM. But yay for the pumpkins is right! (Reply to this) (Parent)

	elvirablue 2009-07-06 10:51 pm UTC (link)
	Sorry to hear about the cost. Your house looks lovely, though. And guilty or innocent, the tree in front of the house is gorgeous. What is it called? The long needles make me think of a pine, or is it a fir? It’s got beautiful colours. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	joanwilder 2009-07-07 01:23 am UTC (link)
	It's a blue spruce, and thankfully the new pipe is PVC and the roots won't affect it, so the tree stays. Yes, it's an evergreen fir. (Reply to this) (Parent)

simons_flower
2009-07-07 05:27 am UTC (link)

We had that problem with trees when we lived in Philly, but didn't have the option of ripping them up or out since it was all protected by historical designations. We just had to have our sewer lines snaked for roots every fall.

You should mark your calendars to have your lines checked regularly because the trees now know where to find water.

On the other hand, that really sucks. Er... no pun intended there.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	joanwilder 2009-07-07 05:30 am UTC (link)
	We had this same scenario on our back yard, ten years ago, but it was a silver maple, and for some reason we believed that evergreens weren't as...ravenous. But the pipe they use now--PVC or ABS--is root-proof, they told us. Impervious. Thank god. (Reply to this) (Parent)