Sewer Issues

It seems like this household has had more than our fair share of potty problems the past few months.
Let's share some (at least 5) fun experiences, shall we?
1)
Back at the end of last year we were just beginning our back yard project when the sewer line coming out of the pool house was nicked. I wrote a little about it in the post back then. but a recap would just state that the tractor was digging and not realizing that the sewer line was there and so we put a 2 x 4 hole in the 4 inch pipe that added a nice odor to the project. Enter little orange marker post for the tractor not to hit again.

It was fixed within a couple of days, indicated by the new looking black patch in the pipe below, and a port-a-potty was ordered because the workers couldn't use that outside poolhouse bathroom while it was out. It was probably the best thing for the cleanliness of the indoor space anyway.

2)
 In March we noticed we were having an issue with the main hall bathroom toilet flushing well. This toilet is not even a year old, as the last one in this bathroom was a terrible flusher and so we replaced it. Imagine our disappointment after spending a pretty penny on a new TOTO hurricane flush toilet, that this was happening again. I accused Stephanie of putting a towel down it while home for a trip, but she said she doesn't flush foreign objects.
I plunged and plunged and finally I felt like it was doing better, so I didn't call the plumber. This is about the time we were to have my nephew and his little family out for a visit, and sure enough as soon as they left that toilet wouldn't flush again. Who knows what it was doing while they were here that they may have been too embarrassed to mention.
This time I called the plumber and he came out and snaked the heck out of it. He did find some cloth down in there, but it was too far for his tools so he had me call the Roto- Rooter to attack it from the outside line.
This guy got up on the roof and went down the vent into the sewer line. He pulled out underwear and I then thought I should accuse some grandchildren or nieces for this problem. BUT the panties were for a young teenager or older child and so I was stumped. Maybe they'd been in there for years.
Anyway, …. Problem solved.  New toilet flushing like the champ that it is.

3)
One evening we were showing our house guests (I just looked and I never wrote about our 2 week long guests - I'll have to do that.) some of the back side yard plans and ideas when Dave (guest) and I noticed some liquid running down the side hill as if there was a broken, leaking irrigation pipe. The closer we walked over to it, in checking it out, the more we noticed the rank smell coming from the area. Our street sewer line was BACKING UP at the junction going into our property. YUCK!!! Draining steadily down the hill into the street was RAW SEWAGE. Who should we call?? Plumber?  Roto-Rooter?
We called the city and they in turn made a call to the water/sewer district on this Sunday evening.
Within the hour there was a service man pulling up to our curb with a big truck, big rooter, and great attitude.
He knew just what to do, but with the clean out being on a steep slope, it was difficult to get his machinery up to it. This good natured, nearly retiring age man slipped in the *@%#^= and fell down the hill on his back. NASTY!!! All up his back and bottom. He then asked The Hubby and Dave to assist him with the machine,  made sure they were safely out of distance from the slippery spill, and he continued to work without complaint. There are roots involved in the pipes and the repairman thinks this could be a bi-yearly event, but he did get it taken care of for now. What a guy.

4)
Are you getting the drift here?  We are up to our eyeballs in ^%($@.
This next occurrence is minor, but nonetheless it is odd and still has to do with plumbing. Our master bathroom toilet was running slightly. The Hubby and his cruddy ears didn't hear it, but it started to drive me a little nuts whenever I was close to the bathroom. So I checked out the tank. The flapper was nearly deteriorated around its rim. There was no seal left on about half of it and it was just a matter of time when it would break through and let all the water run out.

I quickly ran to the hardware store, replaced the flapper and wondered if I should tell my cleaning lady not to put clorox directly in the tank. (I can't imagine what else would've caused it.)

5)
Okay, we are getting to the end. This is going to be the last one. (for at least the next decade)
Saturday morning The Hubby went out in bare feet to pick up the paper in the driveway. As he was picking it us he noticed how dirty the driveway had become and then he realized the port-a-potty was laying on its side with its contents spilled and dried up all over the driveway.

 Did I mention he was bare footed?

Our driveway is sloped so it had slowly worked its way down the entire area and across the entire width and into the drain, with dried up paper, and excrement along the way.
NICE!
The neighbors also had a tipped over port-a-potty and the blue die stained their new beige colored stone that had not been sealed yet.
Sick people.
Anyway - just wanted to share all our sewer issues and say, "I'M ESPECIALLY THANKFUL FOR MODERN CONVENIENCES OF CITY LIFE AND THAT I AM AMAZED HOW OFTEN THEY ALL WORK WITHOUT US EVEN THINKING OR WORRYING ABOUT IT."