The Sump Pump
The Laugh
For context, it is early November. I am in single parent mode because my husband is travelling.
After being away from the house all day and arriving home with the kids after ringette practice, I hear an ongoing rumbling noise coming from the basement. After investigation, I realize that the sump pump does not seem to be cutting out (the sump pump is the pump in the basement that pumps out excess ground water around the basement/foundation, if it stops working and there is water running into it or it is running all the time, it means that the basement could be flooding). The sump pump tank is full, and pump is running but water is not going anywhere. This is an urgent, but not emergency problem as there is no water running into tank, so the water level is stable. I celebrate that and that the phone which is also being used as a flashlight has not fallen into water filled pit.
Return upstairs and send texts to my Dad and a friend who is plumber seeking help.
Finish feeding kids dinner. Remember to also feed self. Get kids to bed and then return to the sump pump problem.
Plumber friend calls. Figures the hose is frozen. To determine if this is the issue I must disconnect the power from the pump and then go outside to check. It is dark and chilly outside.
I venture outside to check while keeping plumber friend on the phone via plugged in headphones. This was much easier last year before we put a deck over top of where the sump pump exits the house. Also, there are pallets under there. I blind myself with my phone flashlight, crank my shin on a pallet and then my elbow goes through a broken pallet board as I position myself to check the hose. At some point the headphone cord gets caught and unplugged, swearing, I plug it back in. The sump pump line is frozen so no water can get out. The clamp that holds hose to the house is rusted and resembles something from the titanic. I make two separate trips back and forth into the house to get different tools, each time carefully navigating as to not crank my head on the deck or get stuck on a pallet. Plumber friend is on the phone the entire time – laughing at me but being very helpful. Finally, I just use scissors to cut off hose. I head inside again to reconnect the power. I turn on the pump. It works and the water is drained! Crisis averted. Suddenly the cat seems interested in the sump pump pit, but I keep both her and phone out of it. A win. Get coat off, head back upstairs.
My kitchen looks like a bomb went off. I also notice one glove on the floor – but not just any glove - the glove my youngest child brought home from lost and found because she liked the colour of them – but they are not hers!!! I told her that someone’s mom is looking for the ones she brought home. Have insisted that she return them to lost and found. Clearly this has not happened and now can see only one - till the dog walks by with the other one – in her mouth. Swear out loud and question how this is my life. Thankfully, dog has not eaten the glove, but is just holding it. Remove glove from jaws of dog, put both in school bag. Write note to her teacher. Choose to ignore kitchen.
Finally get to sit down and finish some work from earlier in the day (not ideal, but one of those days). Laugh out loud at experience. I finish the work by personally set bedtime. I proceed to bed to tuck myself in with a book in preparation for both a good sleep and the adventure that is tomorrow.
The Lesson
Knowing who to call can make tough situations better. Our community is important – it can support us, laugh with us and it has expertise that we do not have
Laughing relieves tension and helps you find humor in things that sometimes are not funny
Giving yourself permission to not do it all and being ok with that can aid relaxation and contribute to recovery (i.e., ignoring the kitchen and going to bed)
The Iteration (i.e., how to make it better next time)
Winterize the sump pump in the fall