The only joy in plumbing is the knowledge that you’re not paying an exorbitant fee to a plumber, and even then, you wonder. Still, I decided that I should at least try to clear our clogged bathroom sink drain, so I went to our brand new Home Depot (my shadow will never grace Lowe’s again) and bought a $10 “drain cleaning tool” – that is, a snake.

It ultimately took all 25 feet of that snake – probably because our bathroom is on the second floor – but the sink is now draining freely. Sometimes it pays to plumb.