Great Flood(s)

Last week brought two epic floods of different scale.

First, following how many years of abuse, we finally managed to clog the kitchen drain for good. After some meaningless exercises with the plunger, Dad said it's time to do it "right", opened up the drain and tried to clean it with the power-drill mounted snake. Max was duped into believing that Dad was drilling for oil and was quite disappointed when all 25 feet of snake came back empty. It was time to call professionals. Carlos, his helper and Dad, opened up the pipe full of atherosclerotical built-up and performed a garden-hose colonoscopy, thoroughly showering themselves in the process with bucketfulls of disgusting foul smelling slime... This yet another cleansing experience in a month, made Dad seriously considering going vegan (or, perhaps, investing in a proper garbage disposal device).

On the macro-scale, the event replayed just few days later, when strong wind toppled enough trees to knock off power lines throughout the town. The pouring rain finished the job, flooding what was not blocked by the felled trees. Meanwhile, coming back home late night after having a merry time with friends and family in Brooklyn, we discovered basement flooded and more water loudly dripping in at a steady clip. After finding the power generator in a sorry state of neglect, Dad set off into rain and dark looking for some fresh gasoline and motor oil. By 4 in the morning, the generator came to life, waking up, without doubt, most of the neighborhood. Dad, extension cord in hand, waded through basement waters and plugged the submersible pump into the outlet. It was only after the electrical whining of the pump and the sound of water pouring out brought Dad a moment of reflection (attaboy!), did he realize how close he was to being electrocuted in his own basement, shall the insulation on the pump turned to be anything less than perfect.

P.S. The third plumbing emergency happened a few days later - while trying to clean a clogged drain the bathroom, Dad broke the pipe for good and spent his Sunday afternoon cursing the lack of standardization in plumbing industry up and down the supply isle in Home Dept and re-learning the dark art of teflon taping the joints.