crisis averted.

all the action took place upstairs. i got really annoyed when my neighbor bought him lunch after he came two plus hours late then disappeared for an hour to get supplies only to come back to say he couldnt find the snake he needed. i tried to shut him out of my mind and watch a movie while i had my sandwich but he wouldnt fucking shut about anything and everything all the while my neighbor was overly solicitous. last straw for me was he took a call on speaker and the guy on the other end asked him to come over in a half hour to help him out with something or other. this before he had done any work while he was eating lunch and watching a movie. fortunately, wife and baby had a couple of friends come over with more food and we (father excluded) all just hid out on the other side of the apartment. 

the snaking worked out as hoped but in the process he broke some coupler which required more equipment runs and eventually a torch to loosen and replace it. the whole thing ended up as a 4 1/2 hour endeavor for what should have been an hour or so. but i guess i should be thankful it wasnt what we originally feared and that he didnt come in sledgehammer first for a multi-day headache.