I will never take indoor plumbing for granted again.
24 hours after my last post, I have a sparkling clean septic tank with an unclogged valve.
(I’ll take the septic guy’s word for it; I didn’t peer down there with a flashlight or anything.)
The basement flood is history, but we’ll still have to cut out some concrete to make sure the pipes aren’t damaged.
And the best news of all:
I took a shower. With soap and everything.
Yeah, even my dogs had been complaining.
Which says a lot, since they smell, respectively, of
….old dog…
"Gimme a break. I'm, like, 91 in dog years."
…and turtle carcasses.
"Turtles taste just like chicken."
When you graduate from owning a dog that killed chickens and wore them as accessories…
to one that kills turtles and would love to wear them as hats…
YOU might be a redneck.
(Your posts about letting kids wear swimsuits in November and septic tanks notwithstanding.)
16 responses so far ↓
1 Helen // Jan 22, 2009 at 4:20 pm
I am glad for you. Whenever conversations roll on to what period in history would you want to live in if you had the chance, I always answer to leave me hear with the flush toilets. God knew what He was doing when He put me on earth now.
2 Beth // Jan 22, 2009 at 4:36 pm
No way. Read my post today. We are on the same redneck wavelength, baby….dogs and everything.
By the way…we have lived without indoor plumbing before…several times…oh yes…the stories I could tell…broken water lines…a tree growing into our pipes…a plumber telling my husband that I couldn't flush tampons anymore…all awesome experiences making me the redneck I am today.
3 Jo@Mylestones // Jan 22, 2009 at 5:20 pm
Wait, I thought CA girls had lifetime immunity from being labeled "redneck"?
Funny stuff. Oh, and my springer spaniel wanted me to ask if your dog has an etsy shop open yet? She's been hounding me for a turtle hat of her own.
4 katdish // Jan 22, 2009 at 5:20 pm
What is up with all the plumbing horror stories? Did you read Carol's Plunger 101 and 102? Just consider yourself very fortunate that YOUR dh didn't go all "Do It Yourselfer" like mine did when we fished a diaper out of our septic system…what's that fancy hotel with all the fountains? Oh yeah — The Bellagio — picture that with stinky, poop water and me vomiting in the yard. (your welcome.)
5 Helen // Jan 22, 2009 at 5:46 pm
Katdish, you have such a special way of creating a picture with words. This one.or That one. <a Href"http://www.travel2vegas.com/imgvegas/pics.shtml?b...this one.
6 Helen // Jan 22, 2009 at 5:48 pm
<a href-"http://www.travel2vegas.com/imgvegas/pics.shtml?b...mean't this for the last one I think.
7 thedomesticf fringe // Jan 22, 2009 at 6:19 pm
Glad you can shower again.
-FringeGirl
8 katdish // Jan 22, 2009 at 6:25 pm
Helen – yeah, just like that, only with poop. Steph – your blog is getting all slow and whatnot. Maybe it's all the linkety-links. (Not that they're not fabulous — but I'm just saying…)
9 Steph // Jan 22, 2009 at 6:41 pm
Helen- Thanks! Yeah, history is overrated.
Beth- Once again, I find kindred spirits in the blogosphere. When I was a kid, my dad had to dig up our septic tank (out back behind the trailer). He found us kids playing King of the Mountain on top of it before he could tell us to stay away. In good news: I think I built up a lot of immunity that day.
Jo- A turtle hat etsy store! GENIUS! I could sell chicken-foot necklaces too! (And it's true- CA girls can most definitely be rednecks. Read the linked post about my old dog to see what I mean.)
You know, I can crochet…. I wonder how hard it'd be to make patterns for animal body parts…
"That's a lovely Turtle Hat you've got there, Eileen."
"Why thank you. I only wish I'd ordered the Chicken Foot Brooch to pin to it."
"Well, now I know what to get you for Christmas!"
Katdish- I'm glad my beloved didn't go all DIY on this too. He DID dig down to the septic tank lid and open it and peer inside to see if he could figure out what was wrong. Thank God he didn't fall in.
Fringegirl-You, me, the kids, the hubby and the dogs are glad about that.
Helen- Oh no! My blog's pipes must be clogging up too! Look out for the fountain of redneck humor!
10 sherri // Jan 22, 2009 at 6:43 pm
STeph, I'm glad you got it fixed cause, I didn't want to say anything but , on my last visit to your site…I could smell something. It was pretty bad. I wan't sure what it was. But now it's gone!
11 Michelle at Scribbit // Jan 22, 2009 at 7:50 pm
Funniest title today! Love it!
12 Nina in Portugal // Jan 22, 2009 at 8:47 pm
I'm so glad you're feeling a little fresher lately. Who got the honors of "depositing" first in your new tank…?? (That was gross….didn't really mean for it to come out like that…okay, maybe I did)
13 faemom // Jan 22, 2009 at 9:44 pm
Horray! Aren't showers wonderful!
14 Carol // Jan 22, 2009 at 11:35 pm
There's just nothing like a good shower when you really need one. And you really needed one? Just a guess.
So, that's the chicken-wearing dog, eh? I like him. He looks like he's got that wear-what-you-kill attitude.
Happy for you and all your daisy freshness!
15 Stonefox // Jan 22, 2009 at 11:50 pm
Whew, I'm glad you aren't smelling like the voodoo chicken dog. Thank goodness for water, eh?
16 Lorie Roach // Jan 25, 2009 at 3:12 am
I can totally sympathize with septic tank problems. We had our fair share few years ago until we finally had a brand new one installed. A fortune. And don't they need to be pumped out every five or so years? I think it's been that long, so I guess any day we're due for a good cleaning, too.