When toilets bubble

This is the second house where we have had to do major repair on the sewer/septic system. Our Fennville house had problems for twenty years until I finally quit messing around and told Bill Buscher to put in a new drain field. That was after both the kids were gone and Aleene and I were empty nesters and probably could have squeezed by deferring the problem to those who owned the house after us. (Are you thanking me Charlie?)

I learned my lesson on sewers and life...if your toilet bubbles or shower backs up, then get to the cause of the problems and enjoy carefree laundry days forever.

We called our friend Bob, who happens to be intertwined in the relationships of Amy's husband's sister's husband's family. He and his son showed up after I dug a hole to locate said balky pipe. Bob fixed the problem (a four inch pipe collapsed like a pancake after 57 years) in an afternoon, but alas we now wait for the City to "inspect" the work so we can close the hole.

Yes, the trench will stay open for almost a week so that the civil servants can vacation, holiday and address the needed permits and papers to tell us that what Bob did is ok. Never mind that a city worker was at the job-site twice during the process with his video camera (for pipes) and made sure that when his turn comes to fix the problem beyond the property line that it is ready for his good work (no inspection for the City is needed.)

I wonder if this is how government run healthcare will proceed? Naah, I trust them to figure out how to best take care of 310 million people's health seamlessly. But I digress.

At least we can flush and wash and shower and shave without the dreaded gurgling sound coming from the brand spanking new (well, two year old) potties. And, oh yes, how is this for good thinking? We are laying a new fresh water line in the same trench so that when the supply line from the curb fails (and it will) we don't have to dig up the yard yet one more time. Hang the cost, the future owners of this house need to be considered!

Can you tell it is 4:00 in the morning on Thanksgiving Day and I can't sleep? Have a good one, folks.