The Pumper's Wife

You might think that being in the septic business, EVERY day is a poopy day, I mean, how can it NOT be, right?  Obviously, we take some teasing from friends and family about our industry, but to be honest there are some real perks to doing what we do.  First of all, I kinda like being in this business together with my husband.  We are always working towards the same goal and working together to achieve it.  When I was teaching (and don’t get me wrong – I LOVED teaching…) there were times I felt like my work sometimes took away from our family.  Working together in a family business now, doesn’t.   I like being able to take my kids to work with me when we do perc tests and inspections.  Not to mention, my office, is our home.  During the summer, I am always with them – no need for sitters or day care.  And, every time they have a break, I get to spend it with them.  Now, we still have to conduct business, but the kids understand tha...

I hate to write too much about the weather….I worry if I write about the fabulous sunshine and warmer temperatures we’ve had over the weekend I will curse it and it will go away!!  I think we can collectively say as a nation, we’re all ready to see winter go bye bye.  Though here in Nebraska we haven’t experienced near the cold temperatures or snowfall that  our friends in Boston have this year, we have had our fill.  My youngest son has asked me several times in the past week, “Mom, did the ground hog see his shadow? Is that why it’s still so cold?”  (I believe even Jimmy the Ground hog is sick of winter….read his story here .  When ground hogs start to revolt….look out…Easter is coming…the bunny rabbits are next.) Spring and summer months bring us sunshine, outdoor fun, and tan lines, but it also brings the septic man an increased workload.  We already have calls coming in for installation, repairs and residential pumping work that customers wan...

By now, I am sure you read this blog simply for the vast amount of strange information I provide each week.  And why wouldn’t you?  Aren’t humans drawn to crazy things they just can’t believe?  Isn’t this why reality TV is such a hit?  We can’t seem to take our eyes off a train-wreck…and this blog is no different.  Total train wreck. So today, I continue with your newest train wreck information… This last week the hubs and I attended the National WasteWater Expo ( WWETT for short W ater and W astewater E quipment, T rade and T echnology) in Indianapolis. (I can't make this up folks...) You read correctly…there is a NATIONAL convention for people in the septic industry.  I met people from Massachusetts, Texas, Washington, Arizona, even Venezuela.  All of them in the septic industry in some way, shape or form.  My husband and I both took classes because, alas, we must keep up our continuing education hours!  Yeup, we have license...

I am pooped.  I mean like dazed and delirious pooped. This last weekend the hubby and I manned the booth at the Lancaster County Home and Garden show.  Though it doesn’t seem like much work, the carry-over afterwards is always a load, not to mention you’re just tired before you start the work week again.  This was our third year of participating in the show and each year the experience has been different.  Our first year we were overwhelmed by the response we got and how much work we took in.  Our second year we were placed in a different location and felt like our booth was blocked and therefore didn’t talk to many people at all.  This year our location was different yet again, but was met with more favorable business and well worth the time.  What I find funny is that though each year for us has been different, there are several qualities that have stayed the same.  Listed below are the top 5 things anyone who has ever run a booth at a home...

Now that I have complained for two blogs how no one knows what we do…how about a little earth science lesson? By the time you’re done with this post you’ll know everything (and then some) about rural living and wastewater - and you'll probably have contorted your face like all the other people I explain this too...good times had by all! (I think it’s posts like this that MIGHT keep me from being a part of blog groups other women my age are writing….just one more topic to bring up at my Liquid Waste Anonymous meeting....kinda sucks I’m the only member). On with the earth science lesson!!  Let’s get you engaged by considering a real life scenario… Let’s say you and the fam have decided to leave the city behind and have purchased yourself a nice spot of land out in the country.  You’ve picked out your floor plan, the color of siding and brick, your kitchen cabinets, tile and counter tops.  You’ve ordered all your stainless steel appliances (the kind that DON’T ...

What do YOU do for a living? That seems like such an easy question, right?  Most of the time it is.  For instance when that question is posed and the answers are “I am a teacher,” “I am an insurance salesman,” “I am a lawyer,” or “I am a waitress” anyone listening has a fairly good idea of what that particular person does to earn a living. This doesn’t ever seem to be the case when someone asks me what I do…at least now.  Ahhh, the days when I could just say “middle school science teacher” and everyone knew EXACTLY what I did….those were the days!!  Now, when someone asks, first I get puzzled looks like, “what does a liquid waste pumper do?” And then, as I explain my industry their puzzled faces turn into icky, disgusted, and contorted looks.  Oh, the faces people can make when you describe your profession.  It’s a hoot, I tell ya. As I have mentioned in previous posts, I have been called “the septic gal” and now recently, “the poop lady.”...

So, as many of you know, I am a former middle school science teacher.  Though I took a break to be at home with my kids when they were little, I spent a total of 10 years teaching 13-14 year olds the concepts of earth and life science. Thanks to this involvement with this particular age group, in the early 2000s I knew Jack Black was in a band called Tenacious D before most adults even knew Jack Black was a comedian and an actor! I was in on the 13-14 year old “know.”  I knew all the ridiculous middle school jokes and lines from movies which were frequently quoted in class.  (Austin Power was popular so there were lots of “Oh, BEhave” and “zip-it” lines…) If I liked a particular song on the radio, my students would burn me a CD via Napster (when it was still legal…) and then during work time I would play it in class so long as they stayed quiet!  Then I left teaching for six years while my own kiddos were little.  When I came back, a FEW things had changed in m...