To those of you who have experienced plumbing snake success before you know what a relief it is to finally watch the drain clear.

To those of you who have never experienced it, I hope you never have to, but if you do I heartily recommend a plumbing snake that attaches to a power drill. 

I would have appreciated some tangible large blob of sludge to be pulled from the drain, but in this case it just started working...  Here in ends this contining saga of diy plumbing.