Sewer Lines, Gardening, and Cat Food
Mar. 22nd, 2009 11:12 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nekosenseiAs I mentioned in my last post, ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
doomsey and I had someone come out and jet our sewer line to remove any blockages and to get a better view of what's wrong with the line. The good news is that our sewer line was not collapsed. It was merely being blocked by lots and lots of roots. We don't have to replace the entire line, but there is a section towards the back of our property that is either going to have to be relined or replaced. The previous owner of our house, in his infinite wisdom, had decided that it would be a good idea to plant a pine tree by his sewer line, and that was causing the line to shift. That's why said pine looks healthier and is taller than the other trees: it has access to the water from the sewer. While the plumbers were out, doomsey and I talked to one of our neighbors, who is a gardening geek. He said that he told the previous owner that putting a tree right over his sewer line was a bad idea. Previous owner obviously didn't listen. It's a shame he didn't because my neighbor is usually right when it comes to gardening. His yard always looks nice with all the stuff he plants, and the guy clearly knows what he's doing. During my experiment with gardening last year, I followed said neighbor's advice, and it always turned out to be good. (Note: Last year, doomsey predicted that my gardening experiment was going to fail because I had no clue what I was doing. He threatened to reseed the area when-- not if-- it did fail. I surprised him and managed to get a good yield out of that vegetable garden. Well, part of the reason it didn't fail was because I wasn't stubborn and I listened to my neighbor when he gave advice).
Anyhow, I digress. Back to the sewer line.doomsey and I have two options:
Option #1: We can dig up the roots and replace the sewer line. This means that the pine tree in the back will die, and that we will eventually have to cut it down. Cutting it down will be a real bitch because it's dangerously close to the power lines running along the back of our property.
Option #2: We can reline the sewer line in the back, which will save the tree. Once it's relined, that tree will no longer interfere with the sewer line. On the other hand, it's about $1,500 more than Option #1.
Personally, I'd rather go with Option #2. Now, the company that gave us the estimate will only come out for a minimum of 30 feet of lining, and the job we require calls for less than that. On the other hand, we do have a part of the sewer line running underneath the patio that isn't doing so hot, and is eventually going to need to be replaced. The company will split up the 30 feet between the two areas so it kind of makes sense to go with Option #2 and have both areas relined. I guess we might as well spend the money now, and have them replace that section so that we don't have to have them come out again in five or ten years and repeat the whole process again. I guess, what I'm saying, is that it will be cheaper in the long run to kill two birds with one stone.
Lastly, Cosette was once again being barfy again Thursday through Friday. The vet so happened to call my in-laws while I was at their house doing laundry on Friday, and I was able to tell her about it and get a recommendation on what we should do. The doctor seems to think that Cosette might be getting so gassy because she's becoming intolerant to the grains in regular cat food. Asemygination said, cats, after all, are obligatory carnivores. So now we're switching her food again from Purina Pro Plan to a prescription food that doesn't contain any grains. I gave her her first can today, and so far she hasn't had a problem. Fortunately, Cosette isn't a picky eater and will eat almost anything you put in front of her. She ate the new food with gusto. I hope this works because I'm getting tired of cleaning up cat barf in random places.
doomsey and I had someone come out and jet our sewer line to remove any blockages and to get a better view of what's wrong with the line. The good news is that our sewer line was not collapsed. It was merely being blocked by lots and lots of roots. We don't have to replace the entire line, but there is a section towards the back of our property that is either going to have to be relined or replaced. The previous owner of our house, in his infinite wisdom, had decided that it would be a good idea to plant a pine tree by his sewer line, and that was causing the line to shift. That's why said pine looks healthier and is taller than the other trees: it has access to the water from the sewer. While the plumbers were out, doomsey and I talked to one of our neighbors, who is a gardening geek. He said that he told the previous owner that putting a tree right over his sewer line was a bad idea. Previous owner obviously didn't listen. It's a shame he didn't because my neighbor is usually right when it comes to gardening. His yard always looks nice with all the stuff he plants, and the guy clearly knows what he's doing. During my experiment with gardening last year, I followed said neighbor's advice, and it always turned out to be good. (Note: Last year, doomsey predicted that my gardening experiment was going to fail because I had no clue what I was doing. He threatened to reseed the area when-- not if-- it did fail. I surprised him and managed to get a good yield out of that vegetable garden. Well, part of the reason it didn't fail was because I wasn't stubborn and I listened to my neighbor when he gave advice). Anyhow, I digress. Back to the sewer line.
doomsey and I have two options:Option #1: We can dig up the roots and replace the sewer line. This means that the pine tree in the back will die, and that we will eventually have to cut it down. Cutting it down will be a real bitch because it's dangerously close to the power lines running along the back of our property.
Option #2: We can reline the sewer line in the back, which will save the tree. Once it's relined, that tree will no longer interfere with the sewer line. On the other hand, it's about $1,500 more than Option #1.
Personally, I'd rather go with Option #2. Now, the company that gave us the estimate will only come out for a minimum of 30 feet of lining, and the job we require calls for less than that. On the other hand, we do have a part of the sewer line running underneath the patio that isn't doing so hot, and is eventually going to need to be replaced. The company will split up the 30 feet between the two areas so it kind of makes sense to go with Option #2 and have both areas relined. I guess we might as well spend the money now, and have them replace that section so that we don't have to have them come out again in five or ten years and repeat the whole process again. I guess, what I'm saying, is that it will be cheaper in the long run to kill two birds with one stone.
Lastly, Cosette was once again being barfy again Thursday through Friday. The vet so happened to call my in-laws while I was at their house doing laundry on Friday, and I was able to tell her about it and get a recommendation on what we should do. The doctor seems to think that Cosette might be getting so gassy because she's becoming intolerant to the grains in regular cat food. As
emygination said, cats, after all, are obligatory carnivores. So now we're switching her food again from Purina Pro Plan to a prescription food that doesn't contain any grains. I gave her her first can today, and so far she hasn't had a problem. Fortunately, Cosette isn't a picky eater and will eat almost anything you put in front of her. She ate the new food with gusto. I hope this works because I'm getting tired of cleaning up cat barf in random places.
