Stinky Surprise

So, this has been one of the busiest falls. Sending a kid off to college, having a senior in high school and a freshman at a new school and traveling back and forth to Knoxville has kept us on the run. It has been impossible to make it to Pickwick. We have never gone such a long time without going to check on our house. So, we decided today to make a mad dash at the last minute. We would just go up and have a relaxing weekend just the three of us. Oney had plans tonight so we agreed to wait until he got home and just leave at bedtime. We have learned over time that it is so much easier taking off at night than trying to leave at a decent time the next morning. 

Oney went out with his friends and Judson and I went to Erwin's and ate dinner. I noticed this jeep and its lights and snapped a picture for Oney. He has big plans of things he wants to do to his jeep to fix it up! I knew he would love these cool lights. 

We went home after Erwin's and showered and put our p.j.'s on for the ride. When Oney got home, we hopped in the jeep around 10pm and Oney drove us. We pulled into our driveway at Pickwick around midnight. When we got out of the car, Judson said, "I will turn the water on and you grab the key Oney".  The minute Oney opened the front door he said "Oh my gosh - the Papermill". No - this isn't the Papermill - something is DEAD in here"! Judson and I hurried over and went in the house. It was the WORST smell I have EVER smelled in my entire life. UGH! It smelled like rotten eggs times 10 million. I said -wait-isn't this smell a sign of a gas leak? I googled rotten egg smell and I was right. The warnings were terrifying. Don't use a cell phone, don't flip on a light switch, don't do anything but GET OUT! So we did! 

We left the house and drove over to Mom and Dad's house. They weren't in town, so we went in and started brainstorming on what we should do about the house. We decided we should call the fire department in Savannah to make sure we didn't pose any danger to any of our neighbors. It was a volunteer fire department but the dispatcher said she needed to send a truck ASAP. So, typical "Naifeh style" we come in to our street "loud and proud" at 1:00am with firetrucks and all. 

They said it definitely was a gas leak and that it was VERY dangerous. They turned off the gas on the outside. Judson and the firemen opened some windows. They said we needed to let it air over night and meet up with the gas people in the morning. They had a detection device and could check everything out. So, after we woke up the whole neighborhood, we went to Ginny and Pop's to sleep. We finally got in bed around 2:30a.m.  Judson set his alarm to get up and meet up with the gas company at 7:00a.m. 

When he got to the house, you could smell it from the road now it was so bad. The guys had a very expensive tool they borrowed from the paper mill to test the air in the house. It was NOT a gas leak...it was sewer gas! Say what? Yep! Google it - it smelled just like rotten eggs. It also can be just as deadly and toxic as gas. Who knew? 

I learned way more than I ever cared to know about sewer gases and p traps. When I tell you this was the worst smell ever - that doesn't even do it justice. It was TERRIBLE. So, instead of a relaxing weekend at the lake, I spent the day Saturday trying to air out the house and wipe away the stench. Good times! 

Judson's birthday is Sunday. Our sweet and thoughtful friend/neighbor at the lake made him cookies. Ashley is the BEST!

I brought up a birthday cake from the store for Judson and Paul, our other neighbor. His birthday was today. We hung out at Ashley and Jason's for the evening. I still couldn't stand to be in the house. 

After dinner we played, "Thats What She Said". We laughed so hard! 

The little ones played Shut Ya Mouth or played with the mouth pieces anyway!

We crashed at our house at bed time - even thought it didn't smell very good. They said it was safe to stay there now. We woke up early Sunday morning and packed up and hit the road. On the way out of town, we rode through the Woods at Pickwick. It is so beautiful back there this time of year. 

This is actually at the back of a cove of the Lake. 

So much for a lazy weekend at the lake. I was carsick the entire ride home. When I walked in the house, I chunked my cookies. I was so nauseated. I am not sure if it was the smell all weekend or the ride home in the back of the jeep. Needless to say, I sure was glad to be home!