Manual labor

I have a new-found respect for my husband. Today, we jackhammered the basement floor and exposed the sewer line so we could tie into it for the powder room addition. I ran the jackhammer some, removed the pieces of concrete and shovelled the dirt. After MrBug cut through the old cast iron and removed a 3 - 4' section, we hooked up new 3" PVC pipe and fittings. It was back-breaking, sweaty, disgusting work but something I'll probably never have to do again. MrBug did it for over 20 years and still, on occasion (when unreliable men don't show up or just quit on him and something's scheduled), he'll still do it.

God bless manual laborers!

I'll probably post pictures, later.

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( Pictures of the Addition Sewer tie-in )

Savagefuzzball went to a friend's house for most of the evening. After all the sweaty, dirty work you see above, MrBug and I showered, went out to eat and then picked her up. From there we went to Coldstone Creamery for ice cream. When we got home, we went down in the basement to clean up a few things that were still lying about (a garden hose we'd used to flush the system, etc.) and watched a mouse run across the basement floor and into the block wall up to where we'd jackhammered. For years, I've watched our cat, Boots, sit in front of that wall and stare at a corn-kernel sized hole where the block wall and basement floor met. I thought she was just trying to freak me out. Obviously, she knew something I didn't. MrBug has stuffed a towel into the space for the evening. Tomorrow we'll replace the dirt and pour concrete and the mouse worries will be no more. Of course I'll set traps in the basement tomorrow, too, because goodness knows how many mice came out once we'd broken open their thoroughfare. One made itself known...others may be lurking. The only thing making me rest easy? - Boots is in for the night and she's already shown interest in the basement "renovation".