na blow me

Day Two: Plumbing and Cracks

November 2, 2007 /

11:2 Shoes in Fall

Hello, Day Two of NabloPoMo. Two days down and I haven’t failed yet! This is really going well, don’t you think? I’m such an optimist.

Lets see, what’s today’s news? Hmmmm…..

I wanted to let everyone know that my garbage disposal and sink are fixed. Hallelujah! I know you all thought I had tried to grind up a baby spoon or a whole potato or my giant collection of secret receipts from all my spending splurges at Target and Old Navy that I don’t want Toby to know about… BUT you would be wrong. The garbage disposal was fine. It was the plumbing that was broken. Broken broken broken.

It turns out we live in a very old and very rigged beach house. Somebody at some point thought it would be a good idea to rig the pipes under our sink to go up instead of down to the sewer. This is a really dumb way to do things. It’s no wonder I’ve always had to run the garbage disposal every two minutes when I’m washing dishes. I think the surge of the garbage disposal was what was keeping things moving all these years. So that is that.

The plumber came. They ripped up my floor. I have a two foot hole right in front of my sink waiting to be fixed. It is in the most awkward place: right where I stand when I do dishes. So now I have to stand with one foot on each side or lean over sideways. When I’m not doing dishes we have the hole covered with a rug and then a chair on top of that so Baby Bug doesn’t decide to go exploring the hole and fall into the garage downstairs.

It kind of reminds me of one of those trap doors they have in the haunted mansions in Scoopy Doo cartoons (I hate Scooby Doo, by the way). I guess if somebody really pisses me off, I can trick them into standing there and fwwwwiiit, pull out the rug and send them to the garage below. Like maybe my landlord. Just kidding!

My landlord is being really cool about the whole matter. She stopped by today and measured to put in new kitchen flooring. I’m so excited. New floor! (Too bad it’s not new carpet.)

You know that crack between the stove and the counter that has been attracting drips and drops from my slopping cooking for the last ten years? I don’t have to clean it! It will be magically cleaned for me! I hate that crack. It grosses me out every time I catch a glimpse of it. I just pretend it’s not there. There is no way I’m going to pull the stove away from the wall and get back in there and clean.

It just doesn’t fit into my daily list of priorities. Even before I had a baby, it didn’t fit. I suppose it will get dirty again, even with new flooring, but at least I’ll have a few months of cleanliness. It will be so nice. I could have a tea party with Baby Bug in that crack.

Speaking of plumbing and cracks… I thought you Baby Bug fans might appreciate this photo:

plumber butt

p.s. I should have taken my NoBloShoeMo picture over the hole…maybe I’ll do that tomorrow.

16 Comments

  • comfortablycrazy

    November 2, 2007 at 10:51 pm

    Oh, and did your landlord ever say anything about the way you baby-proofed the patio?

    SAJ says: Not that I know of. She’s been by several days though, when I wasn’t here. I’ll have to ask Toby.

  • Kuky

    November 3, 2007 at 12:19 am

    Ha ha ha! I read the title of this post and thought you were going to be talking about plumber butt cracks! I’m so glad that picture is of baby bug and not the plumber.

  • lynne

    November 3, 2007 at 3:26 am

    Ha ha I loved your wise crack about the Scooby Doo hole, wouldn’t it be just fabulous to trap a bad guy in a carpet a la Scooby gang. I used to live in a house with multiple holes in the floor. It was an old house that hadn’t been touched since the 50’s that my husband and I bought and restored to its former glory. I didn’t have a baby though just a little kitten so we had to block up the chimneys so she didn’t go exploring up them.

    My watermelon lantern was a success with the local kids, I even got a compliment from an American lady :)

    SAJ says: I meant to comment on that earlier! Ingenius! Did you say you started a blog? Did you post a picture? Must go read your old comment…

  • erin rae

    November 3, 2007 at 3:37 am

    I love the pic of BB! Too funny.

    It’s a damn shame your plumbing doesn’t run under the living room, so they’d have to replace all that carpet you hate!

    I’m impressed with how chilled out about the whole thing you seem – I’d be rather more frustrated about repairwork, trap doors in my floor and having to live in the mess!

    SAJ says: I couldn’t agree more with your carpet comment. I’ve been discussing this with Toby (which is nothing new) and I think he said something like, “Show me some pergo that is tasteful (looks like a wood floor) and I’ll think about it.” We’re going to be here a few years longer than we thought (due to the real estate crash) so maybe he’ll give in to spending a little on our rental. This is huge news!

  • Michelle

    November 3, 2007 at 7:40 am

    Plumbing issues here too, SAJ – It’s just tifw (too icky for words). Let’s just say I found a little something growing by the side of the john – origination spot,under the john. Ugh, hubby and bro in law are putting in a new lou today – Michelle does a half hearted “Yay, a new toilet.” I want the plaid toilet, but he said no, “Plaid bad, alabaster good.”

    Love the photo of your BB’s plumber butt :o)

  • froglette79

    November 3, 2007 at 9:10 am

    Ooooo go with the pergo! That would be so exciting for you.

    And because I can’t comment on comments with out at least commenting on the post….

    I still love those shoes. They are adorable.

  • OMSH

    November 3, 2007 at 3:53 pm

    Those new low-cut baby crack pants are all the rage in CA I hear.

    I have a visual of your balancing act when doing the dishes. THAT sounds annoying. Here’s hoping it gets fixed QUICKLY before anyone pulls a disappearing act into the garage below!

  • Lisa

    November 3, 2007 at 6:43 pm

    I can’t blame you for not wanting to clean by the stove. Ewww. But if you trot down to your local hardware store, you can buy nifty plastic t-shaped thingies that fit in the crack between stove and counter. Nothing can slop down beside the stove and you’ll never have to clean there.

    SAJ says: Really! Guess what I’m buying tomorrow! Yay! Thank you!

  • Marilyn

    November 4, 2007 at 8:11 am

    As a long-time renter, I know the joys of magical self-cleaning spots. They’re all those places I don’t have to SEE until we remove the furniture when it’s time to move out. ;)