I should have done a before shot, for which this would be the “after.” Woke on Saturday to a lot of water. Fortunately it was mostly contained by a bucket which just happened to have been placed in the perfect spot to receive it as it spurted and at times gushed from the old pipes. I don’t know what exactly happened but the pipes were both clogged (I think) and loose, creating a potential for flooding. I was lucky to have woken up early enough to have time to empty the bucket and clean up the sink and cabinet underneath. Emptying the bucket was a multi-step process since it was billed completely to the brim, and moving it would have caused spillage every step of the way to the bathroom, where I would dump the water into the toilet. But I had to empty about a quarter of its content to create clearance on the top of the bucket. I sacrificed an old t-shirt that I’d wanted to get rid of anyway. I used it to absorb a significant quantity of water before tossing it into the trash. Then I drained enough water with a beer stein to where I could carry the bucket to the bathroom. It was an epic way to wake up, suddenly having to spring into action like this.

As loath as I am to do so I called the landlord. The last time I did this things did not end well. I called him 4 times (at least) to report a collapsing ceiling. Crickets was the response. Silence, that is, until I called 311. He was pissed about that but he gave me no other option. Calling 311 was very effective. The ceiling was fixed within hours, but I was harangued later by the landlord for bringing the City into the picture. He thinks I don’t know what I’m doing but yo, he is totally wrong for reasons he does not even know.

This time there was just one call. He was there whenever he was there, I didn’t have to interact with his angry self because I was safely at work. I didn’t return home that night but when I got back on Sunday the pipes were there, good as new, save for the one curved pipe which looks like it might be original to the building. In a previous incident it was revelaed that at least one of the pipes (since removed) was over 40 years old. It had completely disintegrated at some point leaving just a gaping hole through which water poured out.