19 July 2020 (Sunday) - Blocked Plug Hole


"Daddy’s Little Angel TM" stayed overnight; I got up and waded through all that she’d scattered through the house. She has a knack for just dropping things wherever she is, and then wondering why she can never find anything.
I set the washing machine going, made some toast and peered into the Internet. Last night I’d asked about corrected co-ordinates an a GSAK page (doesn’t everyone?) and this morning I got the answer to something which can be a serious problem when one is trying to find the correct rock under which to rummage for a film pot.
There were also some photos of the new comet. I tried to find the thing last night but I couldn’t see it. I think the house might have been in the way. I think that if I am going to see it I’m going to have to drive out to the countryside to see it. Can I be bothered? Back in the day I was, but nowadays I can’t be arsed.
Maybe later…
I had an email from the geo-feds. The locations for the new geocaches I’m planning have been found to be acceptable. I was pleased about that.
I sent out some birthday wishes, hung out the laundry and got on with some gardening.

With "er indoors TM" and "Daddy’s Little Angel TM" off shopping I did the lawn edges, using garden scissors trimmed round the stepping stones, and then lifted one of the stepping stones to sort out an ant nest. I mowed the lawn, pulled grass and weeds out of the patio and then cleaned out the fish pond filter.
Oh dear…
To clean the fish pond filter I upend the entire lot into the bath and run the various bits under the cold tap to remove the sludge of carp poo and pond gunk. After a while it became clear that the bath wasn’t draining very well… When I say “very well” I mean “at all”. I cleaned out the pond filter as best I could, reassembled it and set it going again, then spent a fruitless hour going at the bath’s plughole with a plunger. When it finally became clear that I was achieving nothing I phoned the insurance people’s emergency line. After half an hour (I timed it) I finally got through to someone who said the plumbers would be in touch in the next two to four hours.
They actually called ten minutes later to say a plumber would come out today.
I found an old dustpan and scooped the yukky water out of the bath as best I could. Just as I was finishing "er indoors TM" and "Daddy’s Little Angel TM" arrived. "Stormageddon - Bringer of Destruction TM" had a tiddle, then the most recent fruit of my loin took S.B.O.D. out for an adventure. With them gone I showed "er indoors TM" what the problem was. Having lifted the outside drain cover we could see that absolutely no water at all was coming out, but when we flushed the loo we had quite a flow. (I can do science, me!)
"er indoors TM" then cleaned up the mess I’d made and had a go at the plughole with bleach, hot water and a plunger. It made some rather interesting noises come out of the drains (which fascinated the dogs), and after half an hour of vigorous plunging a small trickle of water came out into the drain. Enthused by this result "er indoors TM" gave it some serious welly, and as I peered into the drain so a huge clot of fish poo, pond slime and dog hairs plopped out followed by a major flood of water.
I cancelled the emergency plumber.

"Daddy’s Little Angel TM" and "Stormageddon - Bringer of Destruction TM" then arrived back with Sam and Charlie, and we had a rather good afternoon catching up. We fed the fish (and got our fingers nibbled), we played Pokemon on our phones in which Eric trounced Trevor then slapped his bum and called him Susan (!), and we saw the world’s biggest dragonfly in the garden.

"Daddy’s Little Angel TM" and "Stormageddon - Bringer of Destruction TM" set off homewards, and I set about ironing. As I ironed I watched a film. ”October Sky” started well, but like so many films it didn’t know when to end.

"er indoors TM" boiled up a rather good bit of dinner which we scoffed whilst watching an episode of “Taskmaster”.
I had a shower in a bath that actually drains, and I’m thinking about an early night. Today was rather stressful.
I really need to make a start on sorting out the web pages for my geo-series… 

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