Mmmmm... smells like:

winter.

Yeah, yeah, the snow is beautiful (another 6 inches last night). Really, it is.

and sewage.

The waste lines going from one of our bathrooms and THE KITCHEN are completely blocked. It appears to be a result of root growth into the waste line. At first the slow gurgling geyser of a toilet struck one of my ultimate fears in life --- failure of the leach field and subsequent sewage backup. Can you say $$$$$$? You see, we have a septic system BUT we are within 300 feet of the city sewer SO if our leach field or septic tank ever fails we are required by the city to hook to the sewer (at our expense, 250+ feet away).

So it's actually a relief that it's just a small offshoot of the waste line and it should be fixable without major digging (knocking wood now). We've had a few laughs about the situation, enjoyed eating out for dinner last night and breakfast this morning, and look forward to washing some dishes in the bathtub tonight.

Dear K's supervisors: I know the state budget has been hit hard by the recession. I know you have cuts that will need to be made. A few things to remember about K in these difficult times:

• His dry sense of humor keeps his geeky brethren in stitches.
• He is the Cesar Millan of the Unix world.
• He knows how to sweet talk a server and is not above talking dirty to an OS.

I might even refrain from my normal barrage of verbal taunts at the Christmas party. Maybe.

Thank you for your consideration.

Life is better with functional plumbing.

Yours,

Mrs. Geek