Musings on the toilet

Now before you decide I'm going to write about toileting, let me clarify, or in the words of Indigo Montoya, let me 'splain...no, let me sum up...

I came home from a long weeekend to a severely leaking toilet. Since I have a little plumbing experience, I thought I could fix it no sweat. Well...that was SUNDAY...it's now THURSDAY and I think I can finally say the silly thing is fixed! I started off by shutting the water off (no problem! just turn the little knob on the pipe at the back of the toilet right?) and flushing the toilet. Goofy me forgot that there was residual water in the tank when I disconnected the water supply. WATER EVERYWHERE and no towels handy! I am on my knees trying to catch the water in a stupid CUP with zero success! Thankfully my dear daughter brings me a large metal bowl.

Let's just fast forward through the swearing, the knuckle busting, the THREE trips to the hardware store for parts. I replaced just about every piece possible...hooked everything up...turned on the water supply and hooray everything worked...until I looked DOWN under the toilet in time to see a nice drip start. Something was STILL leaking from somewhere! GRRRRR! Take everything apart once again (although now I know to have towels and buckets handy for excess water!) and look to see that the one part I DIDN'T replace (the gasket) was indeed cracked in not one but TWO places! OK...back to the hardware store. I'm on a first name basis by now with the plumbing guy...gimme a stinkin gasket for this GD toilet! Of course it's not exactly the same but it will fit. Back home we go...put the gasket in...put it all back together...turn on the water supply...stare for leaks...hmmm no leaks....ten minutes..twenty minutes...no leaks! Could it be possible?! Is it FIXED?! OF COURSE NOT! Now the water supply hose starts dripping...I give up...tomorrow (Friday) I will buy a short water supply hose, replace it, and if the toilet still leaks, I'm going to have a nut! Actually, I will have to call my friendly plumber friend AJ for a professional consult.

I also noticed that the flush level looks kind of crappy so I thought I'd replace that too - guess what? Bought the wrong kind (anyone want a front mount flush level?!) So now it's BACK to the hardware store to buy another flush level (along with the short water supply hose). What else can break down? I'm afraid to ask, so I won't!