Barbara J. Hamby

Cheap Entertainment

This morning at breakfast, the doorbell rang. Floyd answered and a workman asked us not to run any water down drains or flush the toilets. They had been digging all day yesterday to repair or replace the sewer line to this building and were starting in again today. The manager had told us recently that both of the vacant basement apartments had sewer backups.

Crews tore out a number of large shrubs around the building that she said were damaging sidewalks with their roots and possibly the sewer line, as well.

After breakfast, I went to my T.O.P.S. meeting without a shower. I had heated water in a teakettle and used it for a sponge bath. When I returned from the meeting, the digging was still going on and a lot of pipe was spread out on the grass near our balcony. I was a little concerned that a support post for the balcony might be undermined and we have new furniture out there, along with planters and a tomato in bud.

We decided to go out to lunch (any excuse works for me). After lunch the trench out to the sidewalk was quite deep and the digging soon stopped. When the workers and their heavy equipment left for the day, we were allowed to use water again.

Presumably the trench will be filled in tomorrow. It runs very close to a huge old pine tree that I would hate to see come down. It shades our dining room window and houses squirrels that entertain us from time to time. I hope it’s not damaged. I definitely hope it doesn’t fall any time soon, either—especially on our apartment.

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