A Dirty Job

Well yesterday the main drain pipe in my Bowers street property clogged and caused the basement to flood with sewage. I had a plumber fix the problem, but I was still left with a basement full of sewage, which smelled badly and would become a huge health risk if I didn't have it cleaned. The longer I waited, the harder it would be to clean. So I called a few places and got some estimates; they all wanted at least $800.

There is no way I have $800 to spend, not after spending $420 to fix the plumbing problem. So I decided to do it myself. A shop vac, gloves, a hose, and my brother were all I needed. Ravi and I started at 7:00pm, but Ravi had leave at 8:30, so I worked until 10:30pm and got most of it finished (80%). The rest I will finish Friday morning.

I was surprised how much I didn't mind the dirty work once I had got started. The smell was only bad when I first entered the basement. A few seconds later my nose adjusted and I couldn't smell anything. I understand now how people can do the jobs that others would think are horrible; its really its nothing more than a job. Just as fear is mostly created in our head, disgust and the thought of filth are largely overplayed in our head as well. The pictures are pretty graphic, so I'll only post one, but you can see the rest here.

As Ravi commented, it was a Dirty Jobs moment when I mumbled to myself "I will never look at shit the same way again...".