Today was my day off, and I had plans to rest. So much for plans. (laughing here) At around 2:30 this morning my wife was in the bathroom and lost a cherished earring down the sink drain. There are some things even a loving husband should not do for his wife. Apparently, removing a railcar's worth of lady's toiletries from under the vanity (one side only) and contorting one's body into impossible positions while having cold slimy water run down one's arm while turning a wrench in the wee hours of the morning is not one of them.

It was worth it though when I finally got the plumbing I installed around ten years ago disconnected and I heard that little "tinkling" sound as the water drained into a pan and my wife's earring poured out with it.

I began to doubt the worth of my early morning efforts when I woke up in the morning and discovered the reinstalled P trap was leaking. I went to the store, got a replacement piece and a new slip joint washer and installed them. It leaked worse. I tried fifteen times (minimum) to get it assembled without leaks. It wasn't to be. It was now close to 5 p.m.. I prayed for help, which is what I should have done in the first place.

I discovered that the seating lip for the slip joint washer on the drain tube running into the wall was corroded through and cracked. This meant that every time I attempted to tighten it, it would pull the crack open and cause a leak. One more trip to the store and one more new piece and a little more whining and I got it all back into working order, without leaks. When I last checked it, it still wasn't leaking. I quietly shut the cabinet door and walked softly away and then went to all my neighbors and cautioned them all to walk softly for the rest of the day. Just kidding. It was two days.