Water, water everywhere...

So I finally got my new washing machine on Saturday- a modern convenience I have lived without since January. Happy day, right?

Did a little test cycle- everything looked good. About an hour later, after doing the dishes and a few other chores, I went down to put on wash and found a good two inches of waste water in my finished basement- carpets underwater in spots, drywall that was anything but... and I don't even want to discuss the smell.

Usually I handle stress well. This time...not so much

I called Tony, my favorite carpenter, straight away- and tried to stay composed as I left a message of my latest disaster... but I am sure by the end it was clear I was sobbing.

Then I called Rick and there was no doubt that I was sobbing uncontrollably. ( He wanted to stay friends with me why? With calls like this he must wonder) He was so calm, asked me questions and based on the answers I gave between sobs, he told me what I needed to do. I tried to pull myself together and apologized for bothering him but that Tony hadn't answered when I called him first. He said it was fine...

Tony rang me back just a few minutes later and confirmed Rick's diagnosis- my sewer line was likely blocked.

So I called Roto Rooter... and $335 dollars later, the water was draining back down the sewer line and now I really had problems. No, not tree roots...

The video tour of my sewer line revealed a clay pipe at the end of its useful life and then some...

A second tech would have to come and see what repair options I had.

And boy was he a ray of sunshine...

I need 60 feet of piping replaced that is eight feet under my yard. The cost of said replacement made me want to vomit. I don't even have the required down-payment...

Because of the damaged pipe, it is only a matter of time till my sewer line backs up again...

I called my insurance guy at home at 8pm on a Saturday (really good insurance guy) and he filed a claim about the water damage from sewer back-up. It will cover the first $5000 of damages, after my $500 deductable. And he gave me the number of a company to clean up the mess.

So first thing on Palm Sunday morning, two wonderful fellows from Brock Restoration came out and cleaned up the mess- hauling out the damaged areas of carpet and setting up the dehumidifier and industrial fans. At least that helped with the smell.

Yesterday the insurance adjuster and Tony went through the basement and found the damage there was worse than I thought. My bathroom vanity will also need to be replaced.

What a year I am having...and it is only April...