04 March, 2008
02 March, 2008
surviving the shit storm of 2008
I thought I'd be writing this post to describe one of Oona's record breaking poop episodes. Like the time a couple weeks ago when she shot her shit 4 feet across the room. Or even the daily episodes where she explosively projectiles out any gap in the diaper around her leg to soak through two layers of clothes, her diaper, whatever she is laying on, and if you are so lucky, your hands, arms, legs, pants. You can imagine this routinely wakes her up from what would otherwise be a nice 3-hour nap, important down time for her parents. This may also occur right after we've taken a shower. Oona is notorious for waiting until you get her cleaned up during a diaper change, then, taking advantage of that nice moment when you are letting her butt air dry, she lets it go. Squirt. Let's just hope we have it all covered up. Last night at 3 am, we didn't. She hit everything.
But none of this has anything to do with our shit storm this weekend. It all started Thursday morning when the sewage system started backing up through the downstairs toilet. And I should stop right there because it gets much much worse. You probably don't want to picture the whole floor flooded until it was seeping through the floor boards, ancient toilet paper stuck to the trim boards, soaked into the wall. After we gave Oona a bath I went down to the basement to find half of the first floor boards dripping and 3 inches of water on the basement floor. Needless to say, we had to stop putting anything down any drain. Picture the laundry piling up (I had to use our neighbors washer for a load of diaper wraps when Oona was running out), the dishes piling up, no showers, etc.
The first thing I did was rent a 25 foot snake from the local tool rental guys and spend 3 hours doing my darnedest to put the system right. No dice. All I did was crawl in yes, shit, for those three hours with my hands in the toilet bowl. I'll say no more on that score, but it was just about the worst experience this side of bathing in it. So, I called our local plumber (he lives 1 block over), Tommy, who called me back from the bar on Thursday night. He said he was out having a few cocktails with his buddies (which means Jim Beam and a string of Buds), "So is it alright if we wait until Friday after work?" "Umm, I guess so, we just have the plumbing to the whole house backed up, but sure." "And oh yeah, make sure you rent a larger snake, get the 1/2" or 5/8" and try to get it 100 feet long." So, we wait.
Friday afternoon and a morning living in a now very strange feeling house, I walked over to the tool rental guys. Nope, the 1/2" is broke and the 5/8" is rented out. Won't be back for days. Shit! I called Tommy. "Tommy, can you bring a snake with you?" "Nope, the one from work is on a truck up in Brewster, but if you can wait 'til morning I can get one then. I can be there after 8:30am." "Well, I guess, if you can get a snake." "Ok, see you first thing in the morning." More waiting.
Another long night. Sigh. It's 9am Saturday morning. Where is that no good plumber? 9:30, Tommy calls. "Umm, Timon, I have some bad news. I can't get the snake." "Uggh!" "I recommend you call CheapSnake." "UGGH (couldn't you somehow have told me this Thursday night)." Alright, thanks Tommy (but no thanks), bye." I call CheapSnake 3 times and leave urgent messages to get back to me ASAP. I still haven't heard back from them. Then I call back my rental guys just in case they have a snake this morning. Nope. Stress. I finally ask the all important questions, "Is there anywhere else you know of to get a snake?" Sure, you can check the Ossining Hardware because they rent tools too." Thanks for telling me that 2 days ago. I call them up, they've got exactly what we need. I call Tommy, he says he can be here in 30 minutes. I go to pick up the 100 foot snake but it won't fit in my car. So, 2 hours later Tommy finally shows up with the snake from the hardware and we get to work. And success! It came out with a flailing of liquid slick that flew all over my basement, my motorcycle, my wine fridge, and me and a ball of roots and hair on the end. But our system works now and it only took me another 6 grungy hours to get the house cleaned up. My coffee this morning in a clean kitchen never tasted so good.
Finally cleaning up on Saturday.
But none of this has anything to do with our shit storm this weekend. It all started Thursday morning when the sewage system started backing up through the downstairs toilet. And I should stop right there because it gets much much worse. You probably don't want to picture the whole floor flooded until it was seeping through the floor boards, ancient toilet paper stuck to the trim boards, soaked into the wall. After we gave Oona a bath I went down to the basement to find half of the first floor boards dripping and 3 inches of water on the basement floor. Needless to say, we had to stop putting anything down any drain. Picture the laundry piling up (I had to use our neighbors washer for a load of diaper wraps when Oona was running out), the dishes piling up, no showers, etc.
The first thing I did was rent a 25 foot snake from the local tool rental guys and spend 3 hours doing my darnedest to put the system right. No dice. All I did was crawl in yes, shit, for those three hours with my hands in the toilet bowl. I'll say no more on that score, but it was just about the worst experience this side of bathing in it. So, I called our local plumber (he lives 1 block over), Tommy, who called me back from the bar on Thursday night. He said he was out having a few cocktails with his buddies (which means Jim Beam and a string of Buds), "So is it alright if we wait until Friday after work?" "Umm, I guess so, we just have the plumbing to the whole house backed up, but sure." "And oh yeah, make sure you rent a larger snake, get the 1/2" or 5/8" and try to get it 100 feet long." So, we wait.
Friday afternoon and a morning living in a now very strange feeling house, I walked over to the tool rental guys. Nope, the 1/2" is broke and the 5/8" is rented out. Won't be back for days. Shit! I called Tommy. "Tommy, can you bring a snake with you?" "Nope, the one from work is on a truck up in Brewster, but if you can wait 'til morning I can get one then. I can be there after 8:30am." "Well, I guess, if you can get a snake." "Ok, see you first thing in the morning." More waiting.
Another long night. Sigh. It's 9am Saturday morning. Where is that no good plumber? 9:30, Tommy calls. "Umm, Timon, I have some bad news. I can't get the snake." "Uggh!" "I recommend you call CheapSnake." "UGGH (couldn't you somehow have told me this Thursday night)." Alright, thanks Tommy (but no thanks), bye." I call CheapSnake 3 times and leave urgent messages to get back to me ASAP. I still haven't heard back from them. Then I call back my rental guys just in case they have a snake this morning. Nope. Stress. I finally ask the all important questions, "Is there anywhere else you know of to get a snake?" Sure, you can check the Ossining Hardware because they rent tools too." Thanks for telling me that 2 days ago. I call them up, they've got exactly what we need. I call Tommy, he says he can be here in 30 minutes. I go to pick up the 100 foot snake but it won't fit in my car. So, 2 hours later Tommy finally shows up with the snake from the hardware and we get to work. And success! It came out with a flailing of liquid slick that flew all over my basement, my motorcycle, my wine fridge, and me and a ball of roots and hair on the end. But our system works now and it only took me another 6 grungy hours to get the house cleaned up. My coffee this morning in a clean kitchen never tasted so good.
Finally cleaning up on Saturday.28 February, 2008
27 February, 2008
25 February, 2008
24 February, 2008
21 February, 2008
20 February, 2008
19 February, 2008
18 February, 2008
17 February, 2008
16 February, 2008
15 February, 2008
14 February, 2008
13 February, 2008
12 February, 2008
11 February, 2008
daily photo: 30
well, it's been a month and i've managed to keep up with the first month of the daily photo project even in the midst of our daughter, oona plum, being born. possibly because of our daughter being born. there is certainly no shortage of moments worth documenting. i'll continue posting daily pics as often as i can. possibly "daily".
we started swaddling her, which she is completely happy about. this is not a particularly good swaddle, but we are getting better at the tight womb-like wrap.
we started swaddling her, which she is completely happy about. this is not a particularly good swaddle, but we are getting better at the tight womb-like wrap.
already a little devil.
10 February, 2008
09 February, 2008
08 February, 2008
07 February, 2008
06 February, 2008
05 February, 2008
04 February, 2008
03 February, 2008
02 February, 2008
daily photo: 21
I can't seem to take any other pictures right now. Not that she will stop moving for a clear shot. In any case, if you are friends or family head over to her own site, oonaplum.blogspot.com (you need to log in), for more pics.
01 February, 2008
31 January, 2008
30 January, 2008
29 January, 2008
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