Had a little problem with the plumbing backing up in the basement tonight, so I called the landlord. They insisted on NOT sending Roto-Rooter man, who presumably would have used an auger snake to deal with the blocked mains. Instead they called in a truck with a high-pressure hose, which couldn't cut through the blockage -- and as a result, the problem backed up into the furnace room.

Now they are outside, waiting for a pumper truck.

It smells bad down here in the basement, so I think I'm going to log off, as I'm getting a headache. I really don't feel like cooking dinner, so I guess I'll go out. I'm thinking Tex-Mex -- like a burrito, or maybe some chili.

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Editor's note: Terry sent me this follow-up a few hours later.

It had a happy ending (so to speak). Another big truck came and they sucked up all the ca-ca with a bigger hose. The men are gone now and we are finished cleaning up. I think the bill is around $1,200 since it's Sunday and they charge double -- but the landlord will have to pay. The moral is: make sure your house plumbing has been snaked in at least the last ten years or so.