Shit Mix 2008
Hmm... How should i begin?
Life has been quite shitty recently... both literally and figuratively.
First, the literal part. Our toilet was clogged just a few days ago until Eddie, a friendly and helpful plumber came to fix it. It was clogged for about 3-4 days i think, wasn't really keeping track, but it felt like it. Why was it clogged? It started one day after i lowered the brown men into the ceramic bowl (if you know what i mean), they were quite buff and apparently clogged the system somewhere... from then on, Char and I just flushed more often, even when we didn't use the toilet and were close to the bathroom. Anyway, needless to say, the shit buildup almost completely clogged the pipes. By the fourth day, it was impossible not to call a plumber.
Of course i called my landlord first, but he was and still is in Sydney with his wife. He also said in a polite way that it is my (the tenant's) responsibility if the toilet is blocked. But he also added that if it is the apartment unit's problem, then he would definitely pay for it.
The plumber came a day after i rang. The night before, however, my sis and i took turns "plunging" the toilet with a new mop we bought from woolies as this was supposed to work according to Eddie when i spoke to him about the clog on the phone. We spend hours but it didn't. If anything it got worse. I went to bed around 12.30am, even though I had to wake up at 5am for work.
To my horror, at 5am the toilet bowl was almost full to the brim with a mix of water, pee and shit particles... Awesome... we wasted 3 hours, i wasted time that i could've been sleeping, wasted energy, got the toilet floor dirty and all for nothing... it had gotten worse!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I got ready for work as quick as possible and at 5.40pm, 20 minutes before work, I was scooping this shit mix out of the toilet bowl with an empty 3L milk bottle and coffee bottle, and immediately dumping it into the drain pipe in the shower area. I did this for 20 mins and ran to work, signed in and then ran to the toilet. Haha... I had to pee so bad!
Anyway, that afternoon after work, i waited for Eddie. He came, he plunged, but could not win, it was still blocked. He explained that because the toilet system was old (still using the galvanized steel pipes) as opposed to the new (plastic) ones, this could be the problem because the rust in the pipe would eventually build up and cause a blockage.
Awhile later he got more forceful with the plunger, at this point i'd been told to leave the bathroom area because it could get messy... Eww... So i'm eating muesli and yogurt outside in the dining area, and i can hear loud sloshing coming from the bathroom... Ugh... I didn't want to see what the floor would be like. He came out awhile later saying it didn't work, he even stuck his hand into the bowl of shit mix to see if the clog was immediate, but apparently it wasn't. He thought of other alternatives, one where he went around the side of the building to unscrew the bolts to the pipe to see if he could unclog it from there. No luck.
His last suggestion was to saw off an air pipe on the side of the toilet that provided some kind of redundant ventilation (a feature only present with old steel pipe toilets). I called Bart for his permission, him and his wife said to go ahead, as long as we could use the toilet, long enough for them to get back and see what the deal was. Eddie sawed it off and awhile later he came out with a smile on his face and a "phew" to follow... It worked!! The toilet was unclogged, terrific!
That cost $154, which Bart will reimburse me, cos Eddie explained to him that it was in fact the unit's pipe problem and not my problem.
Anyway, after Eddie left, my sis and i went to woolies to get disinfectant and other cleaning type brushes and solutions. Eddie cleaned up, but we thought we'd have better peace of mind if we cleaned it thoroughly ourselves. We carried the stuff home and I had to change and leave for Van's 22nd birthday party at her place in the city. I promised Char i'd be home early to clean with her.
Two hours or so later, I was back home and we began our 2 hour cleaning session. By the end of it, the toilet sparkled!! Haha... a clean toilet again. One we'd be comfortable to use.
Now for the figurative part... Life has pretty much been dull and uneventful since Shannon left. I find myself just going through uni as though it's something i HAVE to do as opposed to something i WANT to do. In some respects, this statement is true. Of course I still want to graduate, but as soon as possible... Of course I still enjoy my course, but only to a certain extent... maybe it's the units i'm taking this semester (especially Documentary theory and practice... I hate that subject), or maybe it's just that my old love has been replaced by a new and more important one.
When i'm amongst friends, i am only reminded that my best friend is missing; when i'm alone, the feeling is magnified and intensified by his absence. When i'm happy, he's not here to share it with me; when i'm upset, his voice is the only consolation. Oh well, life will be like this for awhile... Sometimes i feel the urge to fly over to see him, even if it's from a distance and just for a minute. I think my sanity would last a little longer.
Anyway, as if all this isn't enough to kill me, now my teeth's killing me too. I just got braces yesterday. My appointment was at 11am and an hour later, i officially became a braceface/metalmouth... joining Char, Tommy and Shannon. Haha. But anyway, my point here is that it hurts like hell, and i can barely close my jaw to chew properly because the braces are in the way... my overbite ends up impinging on the braces on my bottom jaw, so basically, my back teeth don't touch even when i tighten my jaw, so i can't chew properly. And the pain doesn't help you sleep either. Char says this is normal for the first few days... So i hope i can eat real food real soon.
I've got 2 major essays due on the same day--12th September. At least once that day is over, i'll know i'm a little closer to the holidays, a little closer to flying back and seeing friends, family and my baby!
By the by, I'll be flying back on the 27th of November.
I guess that's all i have to bitch about for now. Thanks for reading and thanks for caring!
Life has been quite shitty recently... both literally and figuratively.
First, the literal part. Our toilet was clogged just a few days ago until Eddie, a friendly and helpful plumber came to fix it. It was clogged for about 3-4 days i think, wasn't really keeping track, but it felt like it. Why was it clogged? It started one day after i lowered the brown men into the ceramic bowl (if you know what i mean), they were quite buff and apparently clogged the system somewhere... from then on, Char and I just flushed more often, even when we didn't use the toilet and were close to the bathroom. Anyway, needless to say, the shit buildup almost completely clogged the pipes. By the fourth day, it was impossible not to call a plumber.
Of course i called my landlord first, but he was and still is in Sydney with his wife. He also said in a polite way that it is my (the tenant's) responsibility if the toilet is blocked. But he also added that if it is the apartment unit's problem, then he would definitely pay for it.
The plumber came a day after i rang. The night before, however, my sis and i took turns "plunging" the toilet with a new mop we bought from woolies as this was supposed to work according to Eddie when i spoke to him about the clog on the phone. We spend hours but it didn't. If anything it got worse. I went to bed around 12.30am, even though I had to wake up at 5am for work.
To my horror, at 5am the toilet bowl was almost full to the brim with a mix of water, pee and shit particles... Awesome... we wasted 3 hours, i wasted time that i could've been sleeping, wasted energy, got the toilet floor dirty and all for nothing... it had gotten worse!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I got ready for work as quick as possible and at 5.40pm, 20 minutes before work, I was scooping this shit mix out of the toilet bowl with an empty 3L milk bottle and coffee bottle, and immediately dumping it into the drain pipe in the shower area. I did this for 20 mins and ran to work, signed in and then ran to the toilet. Haha... I had to pee so bad!
Anyway, that afternoon after work, i waited for Eddie. He came, he plunged, but could not win, it was still blocked. He explained that because the toilet system was old (still using the galvanized steel pipes) as opposed to the new (plastic) ones, this could be the problem because the rust in the pipe would eventually build up and cause a blockage.
Awhile later he got more forceful with the plunger, at this point i'd been told to leave the bathroom area because it could get messy... Eww... So i'm eating muesli and yogurt outside in the dining area, and i can hear loud sloshing coming from the bathroom... Ugh... I didn't want to see what the floor would be like. He came out awhile later saying it didn't work, he even stuck his hand into the bowl of shit mix to see if the clog was immediate, but apparently it wasn't. He thought of other alternatives, one where he went around the side of the building to unscrew the bolts to the pipe to see if he could unclog it from there. No luck.
His last suggestion was to saw off an air pipe on the side of the toilet that provided some kind of redundant ventilation (a feature only present with old steel pipe toilets). I called Bart for his permission, him and his wife said to go ahead, as long as we could use the toilet, long enough for them to get back and see what the deal was. Eddie sawed it off and awhile later he came out with a smile on his face and a "phew" to follow... It worked!! The toilet was unclogged, terrific!
That cost $154, which Bart will reimburse me, cos Eddie explained to him that it was in fact the unit's pipe problem and not my problem.
Anyway, after Eddie left, my sis and i went to woolies to get disinfectant and other cleaning type brushes and solutions. Eddie cleaned up, but we thought we'd have better peace of mind if we cleaned it thoroughly ourselves. We carried the stuff home and I had to change and leave for Van's 22nd birthday party at her place in the city. I promised Char i'd be home early to clean with her.
Two hours or so later, I was back home and we began our 2 hour cleaning session. By the end of it, the toilet sparkled!! Haha... a clean toilet again. One we'd be comfortable to use.
Now for the figurative part... Life has pretty much been dull and uneventful since Shannon left. I find myself just going through uni as though it's something i HAVE to do as opposed to something i WANT to do. In some respects, this statement is true. Of course I still want to graduate, but as soon as possible... Of course I still enjoy my course, but only to a certain extent... maybe it's the units i'm taking this semester (especially Documentary theory and practice... I hate that subject), or maybe it's just that my old love has been replaced by a new and more important one.
When i'm amongst friends, i am only reminded that my best friend is missing; when i'm alone, the feeling is magnified and intensified by his absence. When i'm happy, he's not here to share it with me; when i'm upset, his voice is the only consolation. Oh well, life will be like this for awhile... Sometimes i feel the urge to fly over to see him, even if it's from a distance and just for a minute. I think my sanity would last a little longer.
Anyway, as if all this isn't enough to kill me, now my teeth's killing me too. I just got braces yesterday. My appointment was at 11am and an hour later, i officially became a braceface/metalmouth... joining Char, Tommy and Shannon. Haha. But anyway, my point here is that it hurts like hell, and i can barely close my jaw to chew properly because the braces are in the way... my overbite ends up impinging on the braces on my bottom jaw, so basically, my back teeth don't touch even when i tighten my jaw, so i can't chew properly. And the pain doesn't help you sleep either. Char says this is normal for the first few days... So i hope i can eat real food real soon.
I've got 2 major essays due on the same day--12th September. At least once that day is over, i'll know i'm a little closer to the holidays, a little closer to flying back and seeing friends, family and my baby!
By the by, I'll be flying back on the 27th of November.
I guess that's all i have to bitch about for now. Thanks for reading and thanks for caring!
posted by My life in Brisbane, if you care... at 8/30/2008 04:02:00 PM
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