So the plumber asks me "do you want the good news or the bad news first?"

Why oh why do people always do that? Okay, so it was fun while I was the one doing it, but when somebody else does it... the decision-making process you have to go through when you KNOW that while the bad news isn't really what you want to hear, hearing the good news isn't necessarily going to be all good news either. But just which do you want to hear first? If you ask for the good news first, then you have a good idea of what the bad news is going to be. Not necessarily a good thing. But, if you ask for the bad news first, then you have to wonder what could possibly be better than this bit of information! Argh!

Oh well. At least we know now what the stink is all about. Hopefully. There's always that little bit of uncertainty, no matter how positive the experts are. They always give you that little qualifier. The "I'm not completely 100% positive, but pretty darned sure, based on my years of experience, but don't entirely take my word for it that this is going to solve your problem." *sigh* What do you do? Believe them? Ask for another opinion? Geez... at $300.oo for just one lousy visit, I'm not in a hurry to call in another of these so-called "experts." And why do they charge extra for checking out the crawl space? I mean, c'mon! If Mutt's assistant "Bubba" (names changed to protect me from slander charges) weren't so darned lard, *ahem* I mean large, he'd have no trouble getting through the hole in the floor to the crawlspace. He'd have no trouble scooting around in the spaciousness that is our sub-basement if he weren't so ungainly. I mean, c'mon!!! If Paul, at 250+ lbs can get down there and meander around with impunity, and Sean, at 6'3" can ramble without bashing his brains out... what the heck is "Bubba's" problem?! Agh. Anyway. An additional fee was charged for going in the crawlspace.

Now I have to find out a) do we REALLY need to dig a hole for a sump pump in the crawlspace, or b) can it be outside the house in the backyard where we have room to dig a 2'x2'x2' hole and perhaps deal with the possibility of large friggin' rocks because the house is a Frankenjudy and was built on top of a ginormous pile of fill. Just remember the huge deal it was to put in the fence posts when we first moved here! Argh... again!