When Your Wedding Ring Goes Down the Drain

 That moment when you realize that your wedding ring went down a black sludge filled drain is not a moment to be thankful for...even if it is the Attitude of Gratitude month! 

I was at work and had taken off my ring to throw straw bales. I had no desire to have my fingers pop off again if the ring got caught. After throwing hundreds of bales I was hot and sweaty. And hungry. I went to get some lunch. I ordered and pulled put my phone to check emails while I waited for my food. Because I was still hot and sweaty my ring stuck to my phone and it fell out. 

It bounced once by my foot, rolled under the counter holding the soda fountain and must have rolled fast because it went 10 feet away and right into the drain! 

I was shocked that it went there. I spent the next 20 minutes laying on the floor searching as people filled up drinks over my head. I finally admitted to myself it must have gone down the drain. 

I thenspent the next hour with my arms deep in black slimy sludge all the way up to my elbows trying to retrieve the ring. 

My gag reflex was threatening to make me puke. My arm got stuck in the hole twice and that triggered my claustrophobia because I was already struggling to breath and was inside a small cupboard.

I tried to get it with tongs. I emptied handfuls and handfuls of black sludge. No luck. 

The facilities guys came to help. Guests were now also worried for me (they had been watching me rolling around on the floor with foul smelling black slime all over me) and were actively suggesting solutions.  

We tried big spoons...we tried 3 different magnets hoping I had a cheap enough ring that had some metal alloys that were not just gold (gold is not magnetic). No luck. 

The final effort was a shop vac. We ducked out more rancid slime guess what?! My ring!

So I may have scratches on my arms from the experience...and I had to scrub under my nails for two days to get all the black off...I dosed my arms in sanitizer three different times, washed with soap and scalding hot water, then more sanitizer. But hey, I had my RING!