It ain't my problem. Well it certainly isn't mine. Part 1

When your toilet doesn't work and your sewer-line isn't passable, you have what one might call, "A problem".  So Mr. Rooter came out a couple nights ago to clear our line and make this blockage a thing of the past.  Eddie, our trusty "cleaner-outer", worked diligently but to no avail.  I was busy keeping company with Mark's wife when I looked out the window to see Eddie shaking his head while speaking to Jeff about the line.  His body language and gestures saying, "You've got a problem."  We know, we were told and that is why we called.  But this is no ordinary problem.  This is a unique problem. I feel like a parent might when their kid is labeled "special".  You know the label...the kid has something to work on, nothing permanent but requiring immediate attention and maybe expensive therapy.  Well, my kid and his problem are "SPECIAL".  Maybe you are asking yourself why...just like we did.

Eddie couldn't get through the guk, try as he might.  So he had to call in the big guns.  His boss. Oscar.  You see, there is this device that they can use to pinpoint the problem area and determine how deep the problem goes...literally. I was expecting to see a sophisticated, massive mechanical tool with all the bells and whistles.  Oscar pulls out a bright red "gun" that looks like something Disney would market a 6 year old for a film like The Incredibles.  There are no bells and certainly no whistles but it "sings" when you get close to the problematic area.  At this point the entire household is on the front lawn watching Oscar locate this "unique" and "special" problem.  Wait for it....

The Department of Water and Power installed a 65 foot electrical pole atop our 100 year old sewer line. 

What this means folks is that LA needs to fix our problem.  But we need to convince them that this is in fact their fault. 
As Oscar explains the logistics of our situation he throws around the term "compromised" like it was the word of the day. 
"When your pipe has been compromised..."
"It appears the pipe was possibly compromised..."
"If a pipe of this age is compromised..."

I quickly realize that this word is going to become my word.  My stone that will hopefully take down Goliath.  It is a precarious predicament when one needs to prove that an entire Department, run by a city, is responsible for an OLD pipe that is no longer working.  Hence the dilemma.  We have to prove that the city is responsible for the repairs that have been estimated around $6200.  That's not chump change, that's a sh*t load of dough.  As a result I was given explicit instructions to go directly to the Public Works building and contest this development, demand repairs to be done by city, and get it done asap so we can flush our toilet because our sewer pipe has been "compromised".

So that is what I did, the next afternoon I headed straight downtown from work.  I pulled a ticket to wait for a verdict that might change the trajectory of this entire adventure.  Unlike the DMV I was called within minutes of arrival but quickly told that it wasn't Public Works' responsibility to fix my pipe but the DWP.  So naturally that would be my next stop.  Memories of college registration and dealing with the Bursar came flooding back and instinct kicked in.  Gotta find who can fix this and hound them 'til they do.

DWP customer service was helpful.  Surprisingly so.  An "emergency" dispatch was called to head to the house and would arrive during a four hour window.  Awesome!  I was also asked to fill out the claim form and send it to the address listed along with any pertinent information to help the investigation.  THE INVESTIGATION?  Your pole is sitting on my pipe.  My pipe that is 100 years old.  Never mind the age, this stuff lasts a lifetime when you don't "compromise" the pipe.

I thank this woman and turn to leave.  Before leaving the building I noticing the claim form address is in this building.  I decide to fill it out and hand it over.  I want to flush my damn toilet.  Within minutes I had the entire security team helping me fill out this claim form.  All six of them put in their two cents.  Who to talk to, how to phrase my problem and then a chorus of "good luck".  I head upstairs to the 3rd floor and enter the legal office for the DWP.  My knees are shaking because I fear I will open my big mouth and say something, anything that might prevent us from getting this sewer pipe fixed. 

Now, I don't know what happened that evening with the red gun or the news that this would cost us $6200, but something happened.  It turns out I have a super power.  I can convince anyone to do anything and do it with a smile on their face.  I'm like a redheaded Christopher Reeves, a shorter version of Ironman.  Maybe the potential of sewage in my home is enough of an incentive but I have a gift and I am going to use it.  Proof, you ask?  I left the office with three things in hand.
1.  A direct contact of the person who will be handling my claim.
2.  A promise from the inspector that he would make immediate calls to get someone over to the house asap.
3.  And a restaurant suggestion for the best Mexican food in Highland Park.

I'm golden.  Not so fast Red, now the real fun begins....

Down under for the big dig...maybe we'll hit China.

I think it is safe to say these last few days have been "productive".  Our amazing contractor, Mark, completed the our problematic sewer-line.  We now have new ABS piping that has replaced all of the old bathroom cast-iron.  The previous owner did replace the clean-out and sewer piping that runs the length of the house down to the street...we will give them credit for this proactive choice.  Well done, previous owners.  As most of you have gathered we are not fond of the multitude of choices these people made or neglected to make over the years.  So the adventures continue.

Jeff, my darling husband, diggin' in for the long haul.  Also know as the poop-shoot, loo-line, sh*tter or  sewer-line.  He's my hero.




So from the looks of this picture, it's hard to get down in there.  Both Jeff and Mark spent the better part of two days in the bowels of our abode.

Mark told Jeff that he needed to demo the wall in our bathroom and clear out the old cast-iron pipes.  No sooner had Jeff heard these sweet, sweet words and he was off like a folly at the race track.

                                                  
And this was the intended damage done. Bu-bye.

This is one of the two clean-out locations on our property. A feature to ensure we have a functioning line.  Unfortunately, this line was still connected to the old system.  It took some digging but eventually the boys hollowed out around the culprit, tied off the old and married in the new.  

Crawl-space, aka: the gnome-hole.    

Supplies.  I have now befriended the local hardware store owner.  Jim and I became better acquainted during an emergency visit.  We needed a plunger; this puts us past the awkward stage.





The next phase to this project was to have a plumbing company come out and clear the line.  We were told by an inspector that the sewer-line closest to the street is clogged, common when an older house sits vacant for a period of time.  We have spoken to our neighbors who have had to do this periodically.  The events that unfolded warrant another blog post.  Coming soon!!!!!

We never said this was gonna be pretty...

This weekend marked the first of many when our leisure time is a distant memory!  The week started off with a bang, see previous posts, but quickly tapered.  Summer school is in morning session which leaves my afternoons wide open.  In my naivety I thought I'd head straight to the house and work for a solid four-five hours and then head home, meet Jeff and head back to the house for round two.  Who was I kidding?  The work that needs to be done seems to be happening at a slow pace because of contractor schedules or our schedules.  Frustrating but expected.  Tomorrow marks the first official day with our contractor who will be working on the sewer line.  We had our electrician install the new exterior panel this past week so I guess it isn't fair to say nothing has been accomplished.  Now would be a good time to mention some of the lessons I have learned thus far when it comes to rehabbing an old home.  They are as follows:

1.  Slow and steady wins the race.  I thought of myself as a jack rabbit but no longer.

2.  Eye protection is your friend when holding anything that could = Emergency Room.

3.  It is possible to smell your own morning breathe...brush your teeth before wearing a mask.
4.  Grease and cigarette smoke make for a nasty clean-up.

5.  When your new neighbor offers you a beer...say yes.

6.  You will find more projects as your day goes on...little and BIG.

7.  Find a rehab buddy or some slammin' music, it gets lonely scrubbing down greasy cabinets after hour 3.

8.  Take a minute to smell the roses, I happen to have a few in my backyard and it put it all into perspective

9.  Listen to your mother, call your father but most important...if you make a hole in the kitchen wall...call your husband.

10.  You will feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of this project...see #1.

 Like I said before...we never said this was going to be pretty.  






Your honor I'd like to introduce Exhibit A...

This is going to be a major overhaul but the potential and end result will be all worth it!  I've posted some pics of the last few days to catch you all up on the adventure.

Some of the drawers from the dining room hutch. We are replacing the hardware so they keep with the traditional craftsman era.

My sanding station...super high tech.

While I'd love to bring them down to the original wood and stain them we have decided to go with white.

The beginning of a major and unexpected repair...whoops.  The previous owner  decided to wallpaper the kitchen.  That would have been fine had they used actual wallpaper; this is contact paper!  


That was bad until we realized it was covering hardboard circa 1985 glued in place.  WONDERFUL!  In an attempt to remove the hardboard I inadvertently removed the wall instead.  Jeff and I agree that this wall will come down when we renovate the kitchen...in three years.  For now we will be doing a patch-job.  Come to think of it...patching is for holes.  This sucker is a crater!


Well, that sums up the last few days.  Tomorrow is a new day and will be full of more to-do.  

These floors...well, they certainly have potential.

This is a photo diary of the progress of day one.

Before: Nasty carpet and cheap laminate

After: Original hardwood floor in need of sanding and consistent stain.  We are super excited to see the beauty.

Before: No charm just "German Technology"

                                                                              Warmer and more natural.  The odd rectangle on the lower left is the original heating grate...we haven't decided if we will lay replacement hardwood over this of find an ornate grate to bring it back to it's original glory.

After: Original sub-floor...we will probably carry the hardwood throughout the bedrooms.

Before: STAINED and gross!

Dear God! We've done it.

I'm certain in the beginning the only people who will read this are those near and dear. But in the event that this thing goes "viral" here's our back-story.
Jeff and I were married in 2008, moved from Chicago to LA in 2009 and find ourselves homeowners today...June 13th, 2011. I think we are off to an amazing start, though the baby question is always looming.
So here we find ourselves. Homeowners and eager to tear this place apart. Which is what we did the minute our awesome realtor handed us the keys. Pictures certainly mean more than words when it comes to demo and progress...so here we go.

York Blvd, Highland Park, CA

 These are some of the awesome built-in traditions of the Craftsman style home.

 Our dining room flowing right into a hallway that joins the bedrooms and bathroom in the rear of the house.  There is a circular layout into the kitchen...we think this house will be great for entertaining.

 Vintage...character...orange.  These were a few words that came to mind when we saw the kitchen for the first time.  YIKES!

 The previous owner made some "choice" decisions...all of which we thoroughly DISAGREE with!  Hello sledgehammer, goodbye faux wood paneling.

More built-in cabinets...quaint bathroom that needs some major TLC!

 Jeff walked in a said, "I could tap these walls and Hubbell-character would come streaming out."  I love him for seeing all the beauty.

 Carpet.  Need I say more.  Okay...wood paneling.  Two more words and one is left speechless.

The mudroom.  We hope to eventually knock the walls from the kitchen into this portion of the house and make one big awesome kitchen.  Ahhhhh the dreams of potential.

       Roses, a lemon tree and our very own backyard.