It was a long day. I had spent hours driving to and from Anaheim for work, leaving home at 6 AM and returning sometime after 9 PM. By the time I pulled into the driveway, I had one thing on my mind—getting to the bathroom.
What I didn’t expect was to step into a scene straight out of my worst homeowner nightmare. As I dashed through the front door, abandoning my purse and computer bag on the floor, I made a beeline for the master bathroom. That’s when I heard it—the unmistakable sound of a toilet running.
As I stepped into the bathroom, my feet hit water. Lots of water. My brain barely had time to process the soggy floor beneath me before I noticed the water extending far beyond the bathroom. It was pooling in the hallway, soaking into the carpet, and creeping into rooms we hadn’t even entered yet.
The Discovery
I ran out of the bathroom yelling for Skott, who had been blissfully decompressing on the other side of the house after a long workweek. The next few moments were a blur of panic, expletives, and realizing just how bad the situation was.
The carpet in the hallway outside the master bedroom was sopping wet. The water had traveled into my office, Kaitlyn’s bedroom, and our closet. It was everywhere. Skott rushed to shut off the water to the toilet, which we quickly identified as the culprit. A soft clog had blocked the toilet bowl, the handle had stuck down, and water had been running for hours.
Skott had been home the whole time, completely unaware. He’d flushed the toilet earlier in the day and had settled into the game room with some wine and a little TV. Neither of us could have imagined the mess brewing just a few rooms away.
The Fallout
By the time we understood the full scope of the damage, it was well past 9 PM. Exhausted but desperate to do something, Skott grabbed the wet vac. It was like trying to bail out a sinking ship with a coffee mug, but at least it felt productive.
The next morning, while I was off to another office, Skott sprang into action. He called our insurance company and quickly learned that water damage waits for no one. When he didn’t hear back fast enough, he took matters into his own hands, calling remediation companies and having one out that same day.
Here’s something we didn’t know: mold can start to set in within 36 hours. That knowledge lit a fire under us to act fast, and it turned out to be the right move.
When a Temporary Move Becomes a Saga
After a walk-through with the adjuster and a second remediation company, we were told we’d need to move out—temporarily, of course. Two weeks in a hotel, they said. No big deal, right?
Two weeks turned into four months. Skott and I juggled working full-time, Kaitlyn’s senior year, and life with two bernedoodles in five different rental properties. Three days after moving into the first one, Skott and Colin left for a road trip to Illinois to get him moved back into college. To say we were stretched thin would be an understatement.
Skott’s natural “let’s fix this” mindset carried us through. While I focused on work and Kaitlyn’s college prep, he managed insurance claims, subcontractors, and everything in between. There were moments of overwhelming stress, but we quickly realized that pointing fingers or placing blame wouldn’t help. Instead, we leaned on each other, stayed focused, and tackled the situation as a team.
What We Learned
This experience taught us more than we ever wanted to know about water damage, but a few lessons stand out:
Address clogs immediately: Don’t ignore that soft clog or running toilet handle. A small issue can turn catastrophic in no time.
Act fast with water damage: Time is critical. The sooner you call for help, the better your chances of avoiding long-term issues like mold.
Work together: In moments of crisis, blaming each other will only make things worse. Focus on the solution, lean on each other’s strengths, and remember—you’re a team.
Looking Forward
It’s been a journey, but as we prepare to move back home just in time for Christmas, we’re grateful for the lessons and the silver linings. This experience reminded us that no matter how overwhelming life gets, we’re stronger together.
So here’s to teamwork, resilience, and never underestimating the power of a clogged toilet.
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