Splish splash
I was going to the gym tonight for a little post-race crosstraining. But first I decided to check the email. Since we had a big storm, the power went out earlier and I had to reboot the modem, which is in the basement. The power systems in the capitol district are horrid and we lose power in every storm. Sometimes only briefly, but you can bet that if there’s wind and rain, you will lose power. Thankyou National Grid for sucking so bad at your service.
Anyway, I was ready to go but the power had gone out earlier so I had to go reboot the modem (because Verizon sucks as bad as National Grid and gave us the crappiest modem on the planet and we have to have the modem in the basement to make it work in the house). When I went downstairs I was surpised by a GIANT pool of water that covered our basement floor. Apparently during the perfect storm today, the water decided it needed someplace dry to rest and burst an opening through our French drain (who came up with that stupid idea? Probably the f-ing French) and poured into the basement.
There were about 30 gallons of water in all (measured by my QVP wet-dry vac that I pumped it out with) and several pounds of SAND that came gushing in with all the water. Tons of soaked boxes and soggy papers. Water. Sand. Mud.
The good news is:
- I had many boxes stacked on homemade pallets that I had made from the Free Wud pile back in Michigan. Dry!
- I had many more boxes stored on metal storage shelves, including the boxes of photographs and other delicate things. Dry!
- I have a wet dry vac that pumps water too. Yea!
- I have a dehumidifier. Yea!
- I made my wife do the mopping while I vacuumed. Yea!
- I had the foresight to put the wet-sensitive things (like sleeping bags) on top of non-wet-sensitive things (like the giant cooler). Yea!
The bad news:
- The chocolate books got wet. Boo!
- My basement stinks like wet cardboard. Boo!
- Stuff is still piled everywhere and will stay that way until the floor dries. Boo!
- More rain is in the forecast. Boo!
- I have to buy gutters for the house. Boo!
- We lost power AGAIN while we were trying to mop up the basement. Boo!
So no workout tonight. Nothing official anyway. Hope your day was drier.
July 12th, 2007 01:04
I’ll stop complaining about the heat, then. Sorry to hear about the basement.
July 12th, 2007 04:02
Bummer - hope the clean up isn’t too bad.
Phil
July 12th, 2007 10:01
Hey at least your French drain isn’t in a Michigan basement. Then you’d have a real mess!
July 12th, 2007 13:15
what’s a french drain?
July 12th, 2007 18:10
The Good News = Vacuuming counts as cross training :)
July 12th, 2007 20:40
Oh man, that sucks. Truly sucks. But I’m glad your pictures and delicates were not damaged. There’s a nice cedar sided ranch with a wraparound porch about 2 miles from me….
July 13th, 2007 19:18
Just think of lifting the f-bombing wet vac as cross training. Had the same experience this spring, totally sucks. At least my chocolate books are intact.
July 15th, 2007 01:21
I’ve always called it a Freedom Drain.
July 15th, 2007 08:22
Aw man! That stinks. I’m glad there were at least a few things that didn’t get soaked.
July 15th, 2007 12:28
I want to know what a french drain is too?!? Flooed basements aren’t supposed to be fun.
July 16th, 2007 08:04
french drain? is that like a french kiss? all wet and sloppy??
anyhoo, you had more yeas than boos, so i think you’re ok. and smart to put all that stuff up off the floor.
:)
July 16th, 2007 21:14
Yikes! That sucks!
July 18th, 2007 06:14
Oh, no..not the chocolate books!
I’m glad that I’ve never had a basement (before now) that was prone to flooding. We were always on high, dry ground, and this house is the first place I’ve lived with a sump pump.
July 31st, 2007 14:06
Yikes! Been there. My lawn at a previous place was sloped and covered in snow a foot deep. We had a super warm day that melted it all draining it into my driveway and then through a basement window that had not been sealed properly. It sucked.