As I’ve documented extensively here our house is an absolute money pit.  I must have written over 20 times about the travails of owning this heap, but it seems that it’s the gift that keeps on giving.

My most recent post was about our bathroom reclamation projects.  Well, Celeste and I decided that we could handle putting the new linoleum in the kids bathroom as well as replacing the sink and cabinets.  On Sunday we went to Lowes and picked up the necessary materials and on Monday we tore out the old cabinets, sink and toilet.  We got busy with normal work/family stuff and put things on hold, and then Tuesday night I drove to Charleston, SC for business.  I drove home last night through four hours of rain, surviving the maniacal drivers on I-77 near Charlotte, and walked into what can best be described as a crap-storm.

Celeste had been working to tear up the luan and was visibly upset.  It had become apparent to her that there were problems with the sub-floor that were probably going to be beyond our means and she wasn’t happy.  I helped her tear up the remainder of the luan and I quickly came to agree with her assessment.  She had called Greg Hester, the miracle worker who’s saved our house on numerous occasions, and luckily he called her back just as things seemed darkest.  He was already planning to send one of his guys out to do the finish work around the bathroom and when he heard Celeste’s voice he simply said his guy would do whatever needed to be done to get us set up.

This morning Jeff, who’s been here enough this year that we’re thinking of adopting him as an honorary Lowder, showed up and looked at the floor, particularly where the toilet had been.  He went down to the basement to look at it from underneath and when he poked the floor from below with his screwdriver it went straight through the inch of wood.  Just a little water damage!

I started thinking about the scene in Money Pit that Keith pointed to in the comments on my last post and now pasted below, and then imagined someone taking a squat on our toilet and finding themselves sprawled in the basement wondering what they’d eaten that day that would cause a toilet to explode through the floor.  I’ve used that facility on a number of occasions and now consider myself very lucky not to have plummeted 10 feet to an unceremonious landing and porcelain embedded in my hind end.  I’m very, very close to breaking into the uncontrolled, hysterical, laughter exhibited by Tom Hanks in the movie.

FYI, if you ever have a home improvement project that needs doing just contact Greg Hester.  The work is excellent, he and his guys are reliable, and they come through in a pinch.  If you want his number just give me a shout.