Stevieslaw: The Joy of Home Ownership

We had a candlelight celebration at the house last night. We had a high temperature of -4 this weekend and not a single pipe froze—what a difference a year makes.

We did have a small problem last week when the sewer pipe clogged up again. It does that three or four times a year. Roots from an old maple tree grow into the clay pipes and start the stoppage. It seems strange since we removed the tree about 12 years ago. Ronnie, from Unplug You, was right on it—after just a three day wait. It really makes you think about the joys of indoor plumbing.

The front walk is buckling. Come spring, I need to get someone to dig out the concrete out and repave it. While they’re at it, I might as well replace the clay pipes underneath, although I’ll miss talking to Ronnie.

The windows in the bedroom no longer close completely. Funny, that seemed fine in the spring. And the lighting in the back bathroom is apparently set to flicker. Bulbs—including those that are supposed to last forever, give up the ghost after a day or two.

I’m starting to get concerned about the sinkhole in the yard. It’s growth is definitely accelerating. The side door to the garage is no longer closing and the whole structure has an odd lean. I’m thinking I may be parking in the sinkhole by next summer.

Oh, we repainted the basement—just before the toilets overflowed because the sewer pipe backed up. The good news is we have left-over paint.

The dishwasher went out of warranty and whack this week. It works as long as you wash the dishes first by hand. We bought it about the same time we bought the fridge—which is shedding little plastic parts all over the kitchen floor. The downstairs freezer decided it was a closet.

I got an “only warning” last week for not cleaning the sidewalks sufficiently after the last snowstorm. Next time it snows I suspect they will fine me. It’s only $50. That’s much better than the price tag ($1500) for the water I used after a garden hose (never kinks, never leaks) split open this summer. It was hidden behind some bushes that weren’t suppose to get more than 3 feet high. I didn’t know it was spewing water until I sunk to my knees in the muck that was once my lawn.

I could go on and on, but you’re probably still wondering why we had a candlelight celebration last night.

Powers out.