Blocked

My kitchen sink is blocked again, and has been since Thursday evening. I've been alternating between pouring Drano down it, and applying the Plumber's Friend. Nothing works, whatever is in there has set as hard as concrete. Every horizontal surface in the kitchen is covered in dirty dishes and the washing machine is full of dirty clothes, all waiting for the sink to be fixed.

I am basically in denial, pretending still to believe that I will not have to unscrew everything and degunk it by hand, probably with a hammer and chisel.

In other news The day at the races is off (well, the racing will take place but without us) as last week's bad weather has schlepped itself over into the weekend. Still cold, still raining. Blah.

In other other news I lost my umbrella. I went out earl this morning to the corner shop and got milk, then walked up to the Bauernmarkthalle and there looked at a few books and bought various provisions, then walked home. Packed everything away, prepared for the second half of my Saturday ritual, the walk downtown - and couldn't find my umbrella, couldn't remember for sure when I'd last had it in my hands. Looked all around the coat-hanging-up area where it should be: no umbrella. Looked in the office & in my briefcase: no umbrella. Looked in the kitchen, and under the chairs: no umbrella. Called G, asked whether I'd left it there last night: no. Went back outside and retraced my steps, asking all and sundry whether they'd found an umbrella: no. Damn. Went downtown anyway, wasn't rained on. Came home, and pottered around playing plumber - and found my umbrella drying out in the bathtub, where I'd left it last night.