Photo-A-Day 2.0 #01522

Today was Eva’s Confirmation. We celebrated that at Saint Mary’s Church in North Attleboro. Mem and Grandfather came form the Cape and Auntie Shelby and Kylie came from their house to attend. Eva’s sponsor was Miss Colleen, our good friend. Eva chose the Confirmation name of Catherine of Bologna who is the patron Saint of Artists. A very fitting choice. The ceremony was very nice and the bishop had a great message for his homily. We enjoyed a very nice event in Eva’s life.

After the ceremony we went to House of Fortune and had a fantastic meal together. We got a ton of food and it was all very tasty. We always have a great time there and it was nice to go back again.

What was not nice to go back to was the basement when we got home. I worked last night and when I was done work I got into bed and napped for an hour and a half until I had to get up to get dressed for the Confirmation. When I awoke there was a terrible smell in the house. I investigated and discovered that the pipe in the basement where what I learned later was the house trap had come off and sewage was all over the back room of the basement. A few weeks ago there had been water in that area and I chalked it up to a very heavy rain that da and night before. What I did not realize was that something was backing up in our pipes. So, because of that water previously I had moved any cardboard boxes from that area and had that spot fairly clear. Not clear enough because there were many things I had to toss out and also things that I had to clean.

When we got home I got to work. we had picked up my Dad’s old wet only shop vac. It was wet only because we had problems like this back on church street and this shop vac has been set aside for this very purpose.

I cleared out everything in that room that would even remotely be touched by the sewage. Christmas Tree bags, suitcases and more. Then I trashed all the stuff that was beyond salvage. Then I started sucking everything up with the vac. I was able to clear out everything and then I bleached the area and cleaned as best I could. The pipe was uncovered and water was all the way at the top of it.

Because this had happened before at the old house we had the number of the guy to call. I had placed the call while we were leaving House of Fortune and got Nate from United Drain. He said he’s be there around 5pm. He arrived shortly before 5 and I helped him get his snaking device down tot he basement. I left him to his task and almost at the exact moment I got to the top of the basement steps he shouted up that he’d found the problem. We have a house trap and another pipe that goes outside. Somehow things got backed up and pushed out of the house trap pipe. When he snaked the line it cleared out and he had me turn on all the water on the first floor and things went through the line no problem. I helped him haul the machine back upstairs and paid him $450 for the work.

I then ran out to Lowe’s to find a new Test Plug for the pipe. The existing one would not go back on to the threads that apparently are now stripped. Nate was going to install a new one for me but did not have the size because, surprise, surprise our house does not have a standard size pipe. We have 3 1/2 inch instead of 4 inch or 3 inch. Lowe’s did not have 3 1/2 inch so I have that coming from Amazon later in the week. I also picked up some Arm and Hammer and spread that all over the floor to dry the floor and to do something about the smell. I will leave that on for a few days and use my own Shop Vac to clean that up later in the week. Never a dull moment.