We have one of those washer-drainage systems where the washer dumps its water into a sink, rather than through a closed pipeline. We haven’t been able to do a “full/large” load of laundry since we moved in, since the sink would fill up too high and it was kinda risky. At first we thought this was because the sink was too small. Then as time went on, we realized there was a clog way down deep in there somewhere. We realized this because the sink began to overflow even during medium-sized loads a few weeks ago, flooding the garage a couple times. On top of this, the kitchen sink uses the same pipe, so whenever you used the washer you couldn’t run the dishwasher for hours, or even, really, use the kitchen sink much at all. The opposite also held true.

Anyway, the point is, after unsuccessfully mucking around with a store-bought “snake” and various drain cleaners, I finally called a plumber. The guy came, he used his professional strength super-snake and stuff, and the problem’s all gone. We can now do a large load of laundry and the water drains out of the sink faster than the washer can pour it in. I don’t know what the previous owners of this house were pouring down their drain to clog the pipes like they were, but it’s all gone now.

But you know what? It took the Roto-Rooter guy all of 10-15 minutes to churn that snake to the main line in the street, and for that it was $200. Now, don’t get me wrong…as always I understand why prices for services like this are as they are but sheesh. I was thinking it’d be around $100, maybe $150 at most. And of course, he tried to sell me some “special” drain cleaner for an extra $50. It should surprise no one that I said no to that one.

For the record, 15 years in that house in San Jose and our drains never clogged up once…even with all the cats I once had…so hopefully this is the only time we’ll have to fork over cash to a professional plumber-dude, barring some disaster like, oh, say a flood or hurricane or broken sewer mains.

A forum post asked the question “What song would you want played at your funeral?” I had to think about that one for a little bit. The usual moody or well-known songs passed through my brain, but eventually I decided that the song When I Die, by Blood Sweat & Tears, would be my choice. We used to listen to this band a lot while cruising the local hillsides, and I always liked this particular song.

If you’ve never heard it, you can listen to it via this YouTube video.

It fits my outlook on life and my overall state of mind on a day to day basis. Especially lately. ie, on the one hand, it’s kinda bouncy and jaunty, but on the other hand, it’s kind of….not.

I’m not scared of dying, and I don’t really care.
If it’s peace you find in dying, well then let the time be near.
If it’s peace you find in dying, and if dying time is near,
Just bundle up my coffin ’cause it’s cold way down there.
I hear that its cold way down there.
Yeah, crazy cold way down there.

Chorus:

And when I die, and when I’m gone, there’ll be one child born
In this world to carry on, to carry on….

Now troubles are many, they’re as deep as a well.
I can swear there ain’t no heaven but I pray there ain’t no hell.
Swear there ain’t no heaven and I pray there ain’t no hell,
But I’ll never know by living, only my dying will tell.
Yes only my dying will tell.
Yeah, only my dying will tell.

(Chorus)

Give me my freedom for as long as I be.
All I ask of living is to have no chains on me.
All I ask of living is to have no chains on me,
And all I ask of dying is to go naturally.
Oh I want to go naturally.

Here I go, hah!
Hey Hey!
Here comes the devil,
Right Behind.
Look out children,
Here he comes!
Here he comes! Hey…

Don’t want to go by the devil.
Don’t want to go by demon.
Don’t want to go by Satan,
Don’t want to die uneasy.
Just let me go naturally.

And when I die, and when I’m dead, dead and gone,
There’ll be one child born in our world to carry on,
To carry on.

Being able to wash yourself with something other than your mouth was the best evolutionary step humans made. OK, maybe standing upright and having opposable thumbs tops that, but it’s still pretty high up there, in my book.

Baby-kitty has developed a habit since we moved here. When I feed him his morning vittles, after he’s had his first nibble, he likes to sit on the small rug by the glass door. He’ll stare at me or meow piteously until I twist open the vertical blinds enough to let in “stripes” of sunlight, and then he proceeds to wash and hang out there. I’ve tried opening the blinds completely, but he doesn’t like that - too much direct sunlight I guess. Anyway, I really like the way the strips of sun fall on the wood-color floor, but I’ve yet to get a photo that I feel really captures it. Still, this one is kinda cool…the diagonal stripes, the cat, and the vertical stripes that the blinds make.

I mean, c’mon…I know that twinkie-like cakes can be tasty treats for the human sweet tooth, but we can at least brush our teeth and go to the dentist. I’m not sure what surprised me more - seeing someone toss it to the squirrels, or see a squirrel actually eating it. It’s not exactly a nut or fruit, after all.

I may have posted this a long time ago, but if I did, that ancient blog entry is long gone, and since I was browsing old pics, here it is again. I believe this was on the Monterey coastline…semi-tame ground squirrels near the beach trail benches.

They’re actually a lot more black in color, not this grey/blueish. He was in dark shadow and I used the built-in flash to fill it, which caused his dark color to wash out, or something.