Trouble in paradise: Our first hurdle as homeowners

We've only just begun to know the joys of owning our own home, but our house has made sure to acquaint us with the trials, as well: last night we discovered we have a plumbing problem. The emergency drain in the floor right in front of the washing machine had a puddle of standing water in it after I ran a load through the washer, and I was able to determine that the line that was supposed to drain the washing machine was backing up and leaking out onto the floor. (The drain in the floor doesn't work at all, but we don't know if it's the same problem or a different problem.) Later, when I took a bath, we discovered that the bath water also backed up into the washing machine drain line and leaked, which means that the blockage is farther out, after the washing machine drain meets the main line.

Today, my dad and I rented a 50-foot manual snake. We ran it all of the way out, and although it brought back plenty of lint and roots, the problem didn't get any better. Unfortunately, we weren't able to get the cap off of the main line cleanout - it appears that someone has sealed it with apoxy. We can't run the 100-foot snake through the small cleanout on the washing machine drain, so Michael just went ahead and called a plumber; they'll be here in the morning. So much for do-it-yourself.

I'm quite discouraged - not only did I blow off several deadlines to work on this all day, but it didn't get fixed. I hate not being able to accomplish something I set out to do - especially when it's going to cost so much more than it would have to do it myself. What's more, I won't be able to take a bath tonight or do any laundry, and I'll have to get up early tomorrow to accomodate the plumber. I'll push back my work further in order to "supervise" the plumber - which really means learning as much as I can by watching him - but hopefully he'll get the job done much more quickly than I would have, and then I can get back to writing.

Hopefully, the next time you hear from me, I'll be once again enjoying my hot baths and clean clothes...