Sure, that doesn't sound like an occurrence worthy of a blog post, but...
when one considers that it has been plugged up since 12 March...
it really is a big deal.
Lack of a red snake with teeth was part of the problem.
My red snake, which I've had for so long that I cannot recall when last the sink stopped up, had gradually lost its bite.
It worked just fine for the very slow-draining bathroom sink, clearing out with ease the slippery strands of my hair that had slithered down and remained trapped in the pipe as I brushed my teeth.
It worked just fine for the right side of the kitchen sink, which had been draining just fine, regardless of the presence of a popsicle stick that must have taken a dive sometime during the hotter months; the snake fished it out with ease.
The only difficulty had arisen from the left side of the sink.
When it was snaked, clots of hair with globs of yellow chicken fat emerged, once, twice, even a third time...
then, no more could be fetched up.
Good, right?
Apparently not.
The left side of the sink, which had been fine, was blocked up tight.
Even though I repeatedly sent the red, nearly toothless, bit of plastic into the now-watery depths, no clogging material was loosened and no water drained.
Mind you: the sink had been draining fine before I sent the snake in.
The use of baking soda and vinegar to manufacture scrubbing bubbles to float free any obstruction, multiple times over the ensuing days, was no help.
I was forced to use a cup to bail out the sink and set the drainer so I could wash dishes, twice over the past 13 days, bailing out the sink afterward each time.
Of course I sought remedy!
All I needed was another red snake, a young one with deep fangs all over, and my problem would be solved!
The problem was, such a beast could not be found.
Searching online led me to seek it out at CVS, at Target, at Publix and Food Lion, all of which had it listed, but not in stock.
This week, I was determined to hunt for it and be successful.
Two of the Walmarts listed that they had multiple packages in stock, so off I went yesterday, credit card in hand and mask on face.
The first one had none on the shelf with the other drain cleaning products.
Drats.
The other Walmart, out by Savannah Mall, had none, either.
Ack!!!
Okay, fine, I would stand in line at Customer Service and ask, as they had listed online that five packages were in stock.
So, I did that very thing.
They called up one of their stockers and I explained what I sought...
and he revealed that they did, indeed, have it on the shelves, but not in cleaning supplies...
no, no, no...
they kept it tucked away in the hardware section of the store.
Off to F-11 I went, instead of G-10, and... there it was!
Snatching one up, I jubilantly headed for the register and then to home!
Opening the package, I freed the snake and sent it diving into the left-side kitchen sink!
Nothing happened.
No clots grabbed, no water rushing down the drain.
Drats.
So I used the gel drain cleaner, waited 30 minutes, flushed with hot water... but the water simply sat in the sink, cooling off, unmoved by my actions.
Drats.
This morning, the water was still in there.
Frustrated, I gently applied the plunger, depressing the rubber dome just barely before lifting it through the water...
and the sink drained!
Like, completely!
Cautiously, I turned on the tap and let water sluice over... and it ran down into the pipe as if it had never once had a problem!
Hallelujah!
And now I again have a red snake with teeth.
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