I make the call and they schedule me for 8-9 am Friday the 13th. I tell them "the drive is pretty big, but you'll need the extra long hose and I'll dig up the lid".
Where do YOU live? Do you flush and never think about it? Your tax dollars pay for a municipal "wastewater treatment plant" which is some large facility you don't want to go near? We have our own personal "wastewater treatment plant"! In the country, if you don't have an outhouse you hopefully have a septic system... you flush, it goes out a pipe to a large underground holding tank where it ferments and ages at the bottom and liquid goes out the top to...wherever. These days wherever involves a large system of gravel and pipes. We live by a river. I don't swim in that river. I KNOW that my septic system and my neighbor's are all pointing down to it.... ANYWAY, our system is functioning fine and like your teeth every six months you want that thing pumped every couple of years.
Pumped of WHAT? Do you really want an answer to that? Everything.
SO, I clear a path through weeds from drive to tank, dig up the pile of rocks and dirt on top of the lid and the friendly dude does a thorough job... it is, um, horrible and humbling to help with this process but here is a haiku I wrote after he left and shared elsewhere:
Friday the thirteenth,
Septic guy comes over to pump.
And he shakes my hand.
And he shakes my hand.
OK, aside from the cracked rear view, which is mandatory, why do septic tank guys always wanna shake your hand and hang out and explain their tea party viewpoint? I mean, sure, friendly and outgoing is always a plus BUT...... ;)
So, that all felt a bit like a Friday the 13th type experience, and you KNOW I shucked off my clothes into the laundry and got into a VERY long and soapy shower, but it was a GREAT day and a package arrives from CANADA.
Talk about fun news! I mean, a surprise! Sadly, it was a second chance. Let me explain.
Bart is real live full-time minister...but also an amazing illustrator and potter! Can you imagine? 2 weeks ago he sent a surprise gift which the USPS kicked the sh!t out of....this time the second act arrived beautifully! A fish and a mustache man sponge thing. He tells me, and it is SO true:
Bubble wrap is a good thing:) I have to admit that sending pottery to a potter feels a bit like my having Babe Ruth throw batting practice for me
The wife is like "good, that horrible wet sponge can dry out" (it is a bit humid...and maybe I should jump on the making sponge holders bandwagon?) and she also says "I want the fish, it is a pencil holder!" Look at the custom illustrated beagle card too... what a glorious day: the BAD got sucked up and the good arrived in the mail...
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6 comments:
Great fish!
The septic......We have one as well. We were up close and personal not that long ago. This is a job I never want to do.
Wonderful shitless house, and adding others pottery, what a great karmic balance!
I have lived with septic systems my whole adult life... they are always a worry.
That is a cool sponge holder, what fun to get gifts in the mail.
Glad all plumbing is functioning as it should! Love that fish :)
It pays to pay attention! I won't go into the details of what happens when the system doesn't get pumped. The truck bogging down and getting stuck in the driveway was the least of it!
Septic system person is right up there with grease trap cleaning in my book. But isn't it great when the sh*t flows freely in reality; can't do anything about all the other crap in the world!
I always say that the septic guy is one thing that I think is absolutely money well spent. I have no problem writing out that check. My septic guy is from Jamaica and he's always wanting to show me the inside of my tank. "come on over here and have a look inside!" A clean septic is a happy septic!
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