Thursday, May 23, 2013

High Water Mark

I always joke that my job is cushy, except when it's not. Today was firmly in the "not" column. I drove to work in a downpour- driving on the local roads was like riding in a log flume, my car was throwing up quite a spray. When I got to work, the basement was flooded as badly as it was during Hurricane Irene. My first order of business was getting a pump in working order to reduce the water level outside the basement doors (I don't know if the "day shift" even knows the pump is still there, but I almost never forget anything). Thankfully, I had picked up a pair of "water shoes" in the supermarket a couple of weeks ago in anticipation of at least one kayaking trip this summer. I joked to the Director of Operations, who was on site to assess the situation, that I usually packed for work as if I were on a camping trip but that today, luckily, I had packed as if for a boating trip. Once again, I found myself calf-deep in dirty water, making sure the drains were clear and assessing the pump operation. I also hastily dug a drainage trench in a slope behind to building to re-route a rivulet that was pouring off the roof into the basement. I'll have to point this problem out to the head of grounds and maintenance (my boss), and talk about a more permanent solution to the drainage problem. Currently, there is a team from a cleaning contractor using wet vacs and industrial dryers to "unswamp" the basement.

As if the flood and the subsequent unpleasantness weren't enough, one of my beloved on-site mulberry trees is beginning to be uprooted, and is currently blocking the footpath to our employee parking lot. Tragically, it's impinging on some of the overhead wires, so it'll have to come down. It wouldn't hurt so bad if the tree wasn't chock-full of green fruits which would have been utterly delicious in a month or so.

While I was puttering around trying to mitigate the flooding, I found a little friend who was swimming in water above its head- I grabbed it and let it loose in a nice patch of pachysandra:





Hey, buddy, you're a terrestrial amphibian, you'd be happier on dryish land... for that matter, so would I.


11 comments:

Pupienus Maximus said...

You did the right thing with your little friend. He wasn't going to become delicious.

Big Bad Bald Bastard said...

You did the right thing with your little friend. He wasn't going to become delicious.

He's not even the type you can get high off of.

Patricia said...

Do you work at Toad Hall?

Big Bad Bald Bastard said...

Do you work at Toad Hall?

I saw a bunch of concerts at Toad's Place.

Big Bad Bald Bastard said...

Ya know, as "unlovely" as toads are, they sure do have pretty eyes.

mikey said...

Temptation Eyes....

ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®© said...

I saw the best Ramones concert evuh! at Toads Place.

P.S. Could on you for helping a friend in need.
~

Big Bad Bald Bastard said...

Temptation Eyes....

Toadtation Eyes...

I saw the best Ramones concert evuh! at Toads Place.

One of the best concerts I've ever seen was Fishbone playing Toad's- the lead singer said, "The bouncers are here to make sure you dance!" The place erupted. I won free tickets from a local radio station which ran a contest, "Tell us why you should see Fishbone in 300 words or less". My entry read "I should see Fishbone because I'm no Goofus" and then I drew a Goofus and Gallant spoof.

M. Bouffant said...

I found myself calf-deep in dirty water, making sure the drains were clear and assessing the pump operation. I also hastily dug a drainage trench in a slope behind to building to re-route a rivulet ...
You're Paul Bunyan!

Hamish Mack said...

well done that Bastard! Amphibians amigo.

Big Bad Bald Bastard said...

You're Paul Bunyan!

I should be so puissant.

well done that Bastard! Amphibians amigo.

I loves mah precious batrachians.