We knew our new Florida house would need significant repairs, but we didn’t expect another plumbing surprise to show up so quickly. Given our history with plumbing problems, perhaps we should have seen it coming. This week we’re sharing how the issue surfaced, why the repair will cost thousands, and how we plan to fix it. With so many people suddenly working from home, we’re also offering practical tips for staying productive in a home office—temporary or permanent—based on what has and hasn’t worked for us over the past decade. Plus, we highlight an app that has made our lives easier and a binge-worthy show that left us stunned.
You can also find this episode on your favorite podcast app, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, Stitcher, and Spotify.
What’s New
- Our plumbing “curse” followed us to Florida: the house was not actually connected to the county sewer system, despite the listing saying otherwise. After digging several exploratory holes, we discovered an old, long-forgotten septic tank beneath a porch. That location presents multiple problems, and the tank itself is inoperable—full of large holes and unable to hold water—so it must be abandoned. Homeownership keeps giving us stories, that’s for sure.
- If you want to hear more from our ongoing “water curse” saga, we’ve covered similar plumbing and water issues in past podcast episodes, including stories about broken meters, frozen pipes, bathroom floods, and costly water line surprises.
- We also discussed the Travel John portable urinal in last week’s episode as a temporary option while dealing with plumbing disruptions.
Listener Question: Working From Home
- Many people are suddenly working from home and asked for tips, so we outlined four simple strategies to boost efficiency and focus. If you have kids at home, know that it’s an added challenge—we’re navigating that too.
- Create a dedicated workspace. Choose a permanent spot you can claim as your work zone for this period—even a corner of a room or the side of a dining table works. The point is to avoid multifunction surfaces that need to be cleared each day. A consistent space helps separate work time from home life and reduces the daily setup friction. If you can have a door to close for quiet, even better, but it’s not mandatory.
- Make the spot comfortable. You don’t need every gadget from your regular office, but prioritize comfort so you can stay seated and focused for stretches of time. A supportive, upholstered chair makes a big difference—even borrowing one from another room or making a modest purchase helps. Keep essentials nearby so you’re less likely to get up and get distracted: things like lip balm, a notebook, pens, highlighters, and a full water bottle are small items that help maintain momentum.
- Set defined work times. Flexibility is a perk of working from home, but it can also blur boundaries. We’re most productive when we avoid multitasking and block out dedicated periods for focused work, then deliberately switch off to engage with family or chores. Over the years we’ve experimented with early mornings, late nights, and mid-day sprints to find what works best personally. With kids at home, finding distraction-free blocks may take creativity and coordination.
- Talk with your partner or housemate. If more than one person is working at home, start the day by discussing priorities and needs—such as quiet time for calls or shared childcare responsibilities. Clear communication helps you set expectations and negotiate compromises so both people can be productive while keeping stress low.
- We also laughed about Sherry once working on the floor with her laptop perched on the corner of a TV stand. It wasn’t ergonomic or sustainable, but it’s become part of our “we’ve come a long way” story about home offices.
Note: a short video tour referenced here originally showed our first apartment setup.
- Clearly, our home office setup has evolved a lot since those early days.
We’re Digging
- We’ve been relying on an HP Envy 5055 All-In-One printer to handle the extra printing demand from kids’ worksheets and home-office needs. It’s been in high demand recently, but it’s been a reliable option for us. We also like the HP Instant Ink subscription, which can be extremely cost-effective—plans start at a low monthly price for a set number of pages and include ink delivered automatically so you don’t run out.
- One app that’s really made life easier is the HP Smart app. Beyond printing from a phone, its scanning feature lets you use your phone camera to quickly digitize documents. That has simplified tasks like uploading forms, sharing signed pages, and keeping digital copies of important papers.
We originally included a short how-to video demonstrating phone scanning; if you need visual instructions, search for a phone-scanning tutorial from your printer’s manufacturer.
- If you haven’t watched Tiger King yet, it’s one of the wildest documentary series we’ve seen recently. It’s full of unbelievable characters and legal and ethical twists related to animal care and private collections. It’s not appropriate for kids, and it contains explicit language and mature themes, but it’s undeniably gripping.
Note: the official trailer contains mature content and language; viewer discretion is advised.
If you want to find things we’ve recommended in past episodes, we keep a running list of our favorite tools, books, and discoveries from prior shows. We also maintain a list of books we’ve recommended through our podcast book club.
Finally, we’d like to thank our sponsor for this episode. They provided a cleaning set offer to listeners as a way to try some effective household products during this busy time.
Thanks for listening, everyone!
*This post contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.