Mini reno

We decided to update our main floor powder room in the past week. It all went smoothly in the end, but OY the problems when we first started out.

As some of you know, I don't drive. Yes, I know I need to get my license. Whatever. We had already arranged to have our plumber come over last Friday (August 21st). The PLAN was that we were going to go out the night before and get the sink and toilet, so that when he came over, it would be a reasonably simple job. Well, something funny happened on the way to the forum.

Last Thursday we were hit with a tornado. Granted, it actually hit 15 minutes away from here, but we weren't going *anywhere* in that weather.

When the plumber called the next morning to say he was on his way, he asked if we got the sink and toilet (with a knowing tone that we didn't). I explained that I didn't drive, so he offered to take me over to Home Depot to get the items in question, rather than cancelling. How awesome is that? Before you ask, no he didn't charge for the hour that we were at the store looking at items.

We bought a toilet and sink which seems fairly ordinary, but the transaction turned out to be anything but(t). Who knew there were so many choices in toilets? We saw one that could flush a bucket of golf balls...it actually said that on the package. Have any of you ever felt the urge to do that?

I didn't think so.

We ended up going with the one that can flush 150 feet of toilet paper, because you just never know when you feel like unfurling an entire roll right into the bowl. *snort*

I'm fairly picky about things, and I found a faucet I really liked but it wasn't in stock. It was a 'special order'. We asked about the faucet, but everyone we asked didn't work in that department. We ended up leaving without the faucet. I decided to take matters into my own hands.

When we got home I went online and looked at the Home Depot website and found the item I wanted, but it was discontinued. I called up their 1-800 number and was told the same thing, but was given the number to American Standard. I called them up and asked where I could purchase it and was told "just go to Home Depot". GRAH!

I explained to the automaton operator that they were no longer selling it and she said "that's news to me!" I explained to her that I didn't really care if it was newsworthy to her or not, I just wanted to find a place to buy it. :)

She gave me three numbers of places to call. I called up store A and they put me on hold for about 10 minutes they came back to me and said that all their sales reps were busy and that I should call back in half an hour so what am I? chopped liver? I called store B and he said he could order it, no problem I told him I'd call him back. I called store C and was told "we don't do small orders, we're a bath refitter, but if it's a common item we might have it." umm, screw you lady...so I went back to store B and ordered it.

The plumber told me he would install what we had purchased and would come back another day when I find a faucet that I liked. Great.

He started unpacking the toilet tank and all was going well, until he unpacked the bowl. It was a different colour. It was packaged as white, but in reality it was bone. When you buy toilets it has a little panel that you can look inside to make sure it's the right colour, but neither of us saw the difference between bone and white in the store. Ugh.

He ended up just installing the sink (without a faucet) and told me to return the toilet and get a faucet. When I had both then he would come back. No problem. It wasn't his fault and it wasn't mine.

VERY long story short, I picked up the new faucet on Wednesday, the plumber came back on Thursday...and without further adieu, I give you this...