SSH

Sometimes, Shit Happens.

Poor Isabelle. She's been displaced from her spot on the tile floor in the basement. She's found a new spot to cool off, hiding behind the toilet in the upstairs bathroom.

Starting on Sunday when I strained my back, then Monday when I broke my laptop screen, then Thursday morning when the sewer line backed up in the basement shower drain and flooded half the basement carpet, the week was a literal shitstorm.

And for it to happen on National IPA Day...that's almost a tragedy.

Things began to turn around Thursday afternoon though. Thursday morning I called a plumber first thing and the one I got a hold of could come out between 2 and 3 pm.

That worked well, I was able to get 19 miles of running in, and I felt great. No problems with the hamstring or back, and I felt good from start to finish. I must have fixed the dehydration problem, and other than icing my back after the run, I didn't do anything different.

I ran around town on several loops and ended up at Arapaho Bend Natural Area on the southeast side of town. Tall grass, old cottonwoods, nice views of Longs Peak.

When I got home, I got a call around noon that the part was in for my laptop screen so I took it over there for them to repair.

The plumber didn't show up by 3 pm and the laptop was fixed, so I left a note on the door and ran over to the computer repair shop just a few minutes away and picked up the laptop. YAY! When I got home, there was still no plumber, so I called them, and they said the plumbers were tied up on a job that was taking longer than expected. They said they would call me back with an ETA.

They didn't call back after 30 minutes and I was getting pissed. It was Thursday and I knew if we didn't get it fixed by Friday we'd be stuck over the weekend, and it's no fun not being able to flush your toilet or take more than a 30 second shower. I called them back and the ditzy person in the office told me she never could reach any of them. It would have been nice if she had called me back to tell me that...

Anyway, I gave her a piece of my mind and she said they would see if they could get one of the plumbers they contract with to come over. At 4:30 pm someone showed up, and began the process of figuring out the best way to attack the drain. We learned some interesting things about the house in the process, fixes for a later time, but anyway, they were able to take the toilet out and go in that way, and they ran a camera down there. It was from tree roots in the line. They got it cleared out and there didn't appear to be any major issues other than that, fortunately.

So now we have a mess to clean up, and a floor to replace. Dennis happens to be an expert in reclamation of flooring after plumbing disasters, but he's not a plumber. We're probably going to replace it with tile, at least the part of the basement closer to the bathroom, water heater and laundry room. Another ongoing project. The plumbing bill was expensive, but not too outrageous. We still have more work to do, plus replacing the floor, and that will cost almost as much as the plumber did. I think the plumber was okay. Just irritating when they don't communicate with you that they're running late. Customer service seems to be lost on some people.

Dennis came home while the plumber was there and I decided it was time for a beer. I had a Rocky Mountain IPA from Fort Collins Brewery, which was okay, but not great. I haven't been too impressed with most of their beers. Not bad, and I'll keep trying, but there is so much good beer in town...

The real stuff is from Stone Brewing Company in San Diego. They make great beer: Arrogant Bastard, Stone IPA, Levitation Ale, and others. My favorite, by far, and strong and hoppy as hell, is Ruination IPA. I should have made a special trip to go find that. But our local, around the corner liquor store was on top of it and now carries it. I love Fort Collins beer, but so far, none of the local breweries has come out with anything comparable in IPA. I do like Odell IPA a lot, and their St. Lupulin Ale. They have a lot of good grapefruit flavor, but don't come anywhere close to the intensity of Stone IPA or Ruination.

So today, I ran 14 miles, and made that special trip over to the liquor store for the good stuff. I'm about to crack one open as I write. Who says there can't be a National IPA Week? So many IPAs, so little time...

Anyway, I am thankful that I am able to run, that the back strain seems to be minor, the hamstring, while still nagging, is not getting any worse, that the disasters of the week turned out to be manageable both logistically and financially, and that there is plenty of good beer to drink. Looking forward to a weekend of running and triathlon-watching.