congratulate yourself.

Dear Self,

Congratulations on pulling the damn trigger already. Now you have a fancy new toilet!

Ye olde potty.

La new toilette!

I'm actually not totally in love with it yet, and not because it's only a toilet. I think it's just the aesthetics - it has a cheap, fugly toilet seat, and the tank is just so...small. It's one-piece, too, which is just different from what I'm used to. That said, we're learning to love each other. The good news (besides the water savings, thanks to the 1.28-gallon tank) is that there wasn't any evidence of 50-year-old leaks or anything - the wood floor that we could see beneath the linoleum, around the flange (my new vocab word of the day), was dry as a bone and in perfect condition. Let's hope it stays that way!

We got help and moral support from our friend (and ex-next door neighbor), Chad. J.J. once helped his brother replace a toilet, but neither of us was really confident in our skillz. After hearing a slew of comments along the lines of, "Replacing a toilet is easy! Just don't forget to [clean the flange / measure the bolt distance / not lift the toilet to adjust after you put it down / etc.], or else you'll [have wicked basement leaks / flood your house / rue the day / etc.]," I thought we should call in reinforcements. Chad offered and was available this afternoon. Done.

This toilet has no idea what's about to happen. :(

Looks super awesome paired with Pink Sink, yeah?

While emptying Stinky Pinky in advance of removing it, I thought back on all the memories: My sister claiming there were invisible splashback remnants from the previous owner caked on the underside of the old wooden seat...replacing all the bathroom fixtures EXCEPT the toilet and sink in 2009...the Great Norovirus Attack of Fall 2010....

Now it's time to make a decision on the vanity. Needs to be as inexpensive as possible (which definitely means we'll be installing it ourselves again). And I need to find a disposal method for the old toilet. Guessing it won't really fare well on Craigslist (though, might give it a try: Vintage Pink Porcelain Wonder, anyone?); Chad wasn't sure if the Habitat ReStore would take it, since it's low-efficiency. Also? Looking to make some decisions on flooring for the kitchen/bathroom area:

A distinct possibility!

But for tonight? Purchase, transport, removal, installation, proper function. Yay! A win.