Amateur plumbing mishaps on a weeknight

Very useful to have channel locks

Last night was a bit unusual. After suffering a super slow draining bathroom sink for months, I decided I was going to Take Care of that. I never managed to use the drain-o-like substance that I was nervous to have in my house but I was suddenly seized with the urge to take apart the trap under the sink and remove what must be a huge disgusting hairball from all my shedding.

Time is a hot commodity on weeknights, so I thought I’d take care of it real quick while Hugo was taking a bath. Did you burst out laughing at me yet?

Hugo’s been extra sensitive lately about stopping what he’s doing to take a bath. It ends well most of the time, but there have been tears and screams before he remembers how much he loves taking a bath. Last night I accidentally gave him some of Unreal Candy’s version of M&Ms after 7:00 p.m., though. He doesn’t eat much sugar and I felt guilty for wolfing down candy from the Easter basket Hugo doesn’t even realize still had a lot in it. So I gave him 8-10 M&M like candies, thinking it was still hours to bedtime, what could go wrong?

The bathtime tantrum was epic. I finally convinced him to get in by tossing a couple of empty plastic Easter eggs in the tub. So I grab the channel locks while he is floating on his back, whining and crying with his dad sitting on the edge of the tub talking to him. I detach the U shaped PVC pipe under the sink on one end when he starts yelling, “NO DADDY! I WANT MOMMY!”

Abandon pipe and channel locks. Scoop up son who is now apoplectic because he actually wanted to stay IN the tub. Bring son into his room and soothe him for 10 minutes while hoping the neighbors don’t call the cops. Continue holding son throughout bedtime routine until 9:45 when he decides he’s really not tired. I set him down to play because I know he’s not going to sleep any time soon.

Hear husband’s screams from the bathroom.. where I had disconnected the pipe under the sink! Everything under the sink is flooded!

Hugo is having a blast playing with trains. My husband finishes the cleanup (using 3 towels) and I am again seized with the idea that this is my chance to unclog the sink.

With everything still in the cabinet under the sink, I disconnect both sides of the pipe, which starts to overflow onto everything. I grab a bucket, feeling very capable and smart.

The pipe is full of disgusting hair! I rinse it out in the sink – the sink that has no pipe in the cabinet underneath. Now everything is soaked with dirty, hairy sewer water.

Don’t ever let anyone tell you that common sense is a learned skill. And I am going after the trip lever waste thinger this weekend because it’s still clogged.