i'm glad to see that the hole is outside your basement, not inside it.

Did you stick your hand into the wet cement and write a little message for posterity?

I like Matt's idea. You should've written "www.tienmao.com" in the cement!

hmm, that idea never occurred to me. damn! i mean, they had wet cement outside work recently and i thought about it, but not for that. maybe it's a different association - sidewalk to drain area.

it's probably better that i didn't. i don't want to chance anything - even some small writing.

that's one yucky looking hole.

I remember the days of posted pictures of your beautifully waxed floors, high-polish, chrome appliances and other lovely Tien-home amenities. Now the horrors of owning are reveiled and my envy level has plummeted - I miss the pretty waxed floors. Good luck revamping dear Tien!

On another note, "I remember the days" by Micheal Jackson was a kick-ass song. He had that little sound -ah - ah - Ah- he made - mmm I wish we could have the old Michael Jackson back.

corie, the yucky hole had yet to dry when i took the pictures. better a yucky hole than a leaking hole.

christiona, my appliances are stainless steel, not chrome. and the song is "remember the time" and i don't remember it being that great. and that was already the freaky mj.

Tien: I don't get what the hole does. Does it fill up with water until it gets to that pipe and then drain off through the pipe?

Christiona: "Remember the Time," though not the best MJ song, is still quite good, I think. Don't let Tien tell you different.

if you look carefully at the last picture, you can see there is another pipe. that pipe eventually goes to the city's pipes. i believe that other pipe might come from the roof.

I looks like that lower pipe is smaller than the one higher up? Does that mean that during a torrential downpour, the bigger pipe will be spitting out more water than the little one can take away? Or is the size difference too minimal to matter?

matt, i'd like to think the size difference is only because of perspective. that said, the area has become backed up before. the lower pipe can only take so much water out and is getting water from the roof and the whole drainage area (there are two more drains along that side of the building). eventually they all make their way to the city's pipes.

i can't tell the scale, but the hole looks perfect for trapping peeping toms who are looking in your basement window. cover it with some sticks and make the basement an exciting place for peeping toms to peep at... could be a new hobby.

You should try crawling inside it and seeing if it leads to any cool tunnels.

i discovered that the hole is much smaller than it looks in the pictures. it's maybe 2 feet deep and 1.5 feet wide. not sure that i would want a peeping tom peeping at me though.