Life Without Water

 A FEW THINGS--

When you want your marriage tested--have water/sewer issues. Really want to test your marriage? Have water/sewer problems in a house that was built in 1908.

For those that don't know--we are either the third or fourth generation to live in this house. It was built by my husband's family. I believe it was the first house to have electricity in the county. The basement of the house went from a place to hang meat--to a family/game room--to a place for a hired man to live--then completely gutted by ME because of numerous water/sewer problems. It is now a cement dungeon--with high shelving units that we use for storage. 

This house is owned by my Mother In Law and we get to live here until we choose not to. We will not update this house but we will provide it with the occasional Botox. Maintaining this house at a minimal cost while saving for a new house either to be placed here or somewhere else is MY ultimate goal--NOT my husbands because he is a caveman and could literally live in a cardboard box if needed. He always says "A house doesn't pay for itself" and that my friends is who he is. However--we ARE saving for a new house. I think we both see the writing on the wall--but I am a little more realistic on it because this is his family--and this house has a lot of childhood AND adult memories for him, As for me--I have raised my kids in this house with my husband. I would not hesitate to bulldoze it to the ground and put a new house in--that is--if my husband has it in writing that this property will be his. I have definitely learned from being a part of this family is that you need plan A all the way through Plan Z to function. And you can never get your hopes up on anything. Having six years until our youngest son graduates--the house account will just be the only plan. MY plan. 

So last week--we ended up with water in the basement--which usually means a sump pump went out. So I went and picked up a sump pump--hubby came home--found out a tree fell in the drainage field--knocked out the cord to the sump pump--replaced the cord--put the sump pump in storage because we will need it eventually. I got to watch my husband use a small chainsaw to cut this tree up--and all I thought was --damn--"Leatherface" from "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" had a really great chainsaw--and I am kind of jealous right now. The chainsaw my hubby was using was pretty tiny. However--it got the job done--we got the tree moved. Cord was replaced and the hubby took a shower and headed back on the road and I went to the volleyball game.

Going to the volleyball game had me full of anxiety. I haven't really been out in the community. I haven't really been social. I am finding that being social is a little bit more of a challenge than it use to be for me. I am going through a little bit of a growing season and eventually there will be more of a balance for me--I just need to trust the process. But my son does want a social life and he is to young to drive so I guess I will be putting myself out there more than I planned.

Got home from the game and went down in the basement to check it out and there is water--so I called my husband who was on the road--texted him pictures of where the water was at and it looks like we didn't solve the problem. So--no water--no flushing the toilet until he gets home. How FUN!

The hubby gets home on Friday night and our date night was snaking a freaking sewer line. So--when I participate in the pageant circuit next summer I will definitely be putting that as a talent. We also as a family found the septic tanks. Of course being on a weekend--there was no way we were going to find anyone to come out without paying a huge amount of money. So my hubby got the camper plugged in and filled with water so that we could have a toilet. I was wanting to put the camper in the trash hole after it flooded on me with all of the rain at the State Fair and then I turned around and praised it because the toilet worked. I was thankful for that toilet!!!

I was also thankful for my mom living in the neighboring town so that my youngest son and I had a place to shower and a do some laundry. You really don't appreciate things like water and sewer until you don't have it. And after five days--I was seriously ready to have things working again. And a shout out to my hubby--who actually knows how water and sewer works. When we were booted off the farm many moons ago so that it could be rented to the highest bidder my husband worked for my stepfathers trenching business so he understood what needed to be done and what might need to be redone when this is all temporarily fixed. Clay pipe crumbles--this sewer is over 50 years old. The reality is--we might need a new sewer. And my husband knows what will be needed to have that done. I admire that immensely. I would be completely screwed in a situation like this and probably have a company completely take advantage of my lack of knowledge on sewers. So I definitely paid attention. 

So Monday morning we had our septic tanked pumped--I again--got to snake a sewer pipe and we seemed to still have a clog somewhere--so they got out a different snake--little bit better than mine--and low and behold--we are no longer clogged. Praise Jesus! 

You never know how you will react when you are literally dealing with your own shit. But my husband and I actually worked well together and even laughed about it. Thank God the weather was warm enough for my youngest son to pee outside for a few days. I mean--we actually made this situation work. I am not sure this would have been the case a few years ago. 

One of the things I noticed though this process is that my husband and my oldest son handle stress the same way. They get very quiet--and what I found is that I needed to keep talking to keep that stress level down. I am definitely NOT quiet when I am stressed--I want everyone to know so I feel this was the positive out of it all--I feel I know my husband a little bit better now--and we have been together for about 25 years. This--and learning how to snake a sewer pipe were my positive experiences this week.

As I write this--I am waiting for the sewer pumping people to come out and "jet" the pipe leading to the drainage field. And we will most likely need to replace the sewer system in the next year. We will most likely flip the bill because it is our shit and we live here for "free". But I have suggested that IF we leave this place that we dig it up and take it with us. Because I really don't like doing permanent work on a place we don't own. He just gave me a funny look. I don't think he knows how serious I am. I wouldn't hesitate to dig it up and take it with me. I am that bitch.

Side note: I absolutely love my husband. I am so thankful for where we are now compared to where we were a few years ago. I am so thankful God is leading us in the right direction. And folks-- we are counting down to being Grandparents. Our life focus is shifting and I am so very thankful for this shift. The sky is the limit and I think he is pretty freaking amazing. 

Until Next Time---

Kristi