Right down the drain!

Well, this has definitely NOT been my month...or year for that matter. I thought 30 was supposed to be spectacular. So far it's been nothing but shit! And I mean that in more than 1 way!

Here's the latest development in Sarahland. My toilet in my basement bathroom (which is the one I use the most because my bedroom is downstairs, as is the shower) has been leaking for over a month and I couldn't figure out where it was coming from. I finally decided it was the valve and shut the sucker off until I could afford to call someone to come fix it. Well, that was all fine and dandy for a couple weeks. Then my sister came to town and I happened to be downstairs when she flushed the toilet upstairs...and heard bubbling noises. There was water coming up my sink in the basement bathroom...not sewage, just water...but still. Not okay. Then when I started a load of laundry it did the same thing.

So, I called my contractor friends that have done several projects on my humble abode and they came over to check it out. They said the valve needed replaced and weren't too concerned over the water in the sink. They had another job to finish and then would come take care of my little problem.

So, my sister showered the next morning while I was sitting in the hot tub. I came in went to shower and noticed brown stuff on the floor right in front of the shower and water all over the floor. I cleaned it up...yes, the germaphobe cleaned it up...I told myself it was just dirt. THEN, I pulled back the shower curtain and saw the space between the shower and the wall. I should mention, this bathroom sucks and the shower is one of those nasty ones that is just kinda an afterthought and set in. So there is space under it and behind it. Anyway, I pulled the shower curtain and more brown stuff everywhere. So, again, I cleaned it up and told myself the water had just pushed dirt out from under the nasty shower. After I got it all cleaned up...I had no choice but to shower...and that's the only one I've got. When I got out, there was water everywhere, between the wall and the shower was about a foot of water standing. I wanted to cry really. Instead, I called my dad. That poor man. He deserves sainthood, a huge vacation away from me and my phone calls, and to win the lottery to repay him for all the emergencies he's had to take care of for me!

I left a message for my contractor friends about what happened and called a plumber. They weren't able to come til this morning. That is when I came to the lovely realization that I have no clean-out, which means he had to take the toilet completely out to roto-rooter. On top of that, I'm pretty sure because the people that lived here before me put that craptastic shower in and didn't have the flooring go underneath it, just to the edges...no doubt the water was underneath the flooring as was the shit (or dirt..whichever version you prefer)...so there is probably mold and all kinds of nastiness under there and it will have to be replaced. My dad said we may even have to take the shower out and put a new one in to be able to get to the nastiness under it. Don't get me wrong, I've wanted to get a real shower since I bought the place...I just don't currently have the funds for this nonsense. Again...my poor, poor dad. This is just one more affirmation to him that he REALLY wants to get me married off so my problems are someone else's problems! ha He and my mom are even offering to pay for an online dating service. Swell.

Anyway, the plumber is here now...got the toilet out and is roto-rooting away. I hate the noise, am repulsed by the smell, and I refuse to even go look in there until it's done. Oh, and they took a chunk out of my wall with the machine on the way down the stairs.
Like I said, it's just not my year. 30 sucks and so does bad plumbing. I'll take 31 anyday now please!

The only good news for the day, my friend Lisa is coming through town today and bringing me a CASE of Bran Flakes. Yippee! Of course, you know what that means...more shit. Sigh.