Plumbers, dates, and other exciting events

Let's see. Last time we saw each other I had a mild stomach flu and my house was upside down being painted. I got over the flu after lots of bed rest and none the worse. The painting is D-U-N, DONE! And it looks fabulous! Since every wall and ceiling is freshly painted, everything looks so clean. And it really gives the house a warm feeling. I'll be posting before and after photos soon.

So finally, we have a new roof, new paint, and as of this week, a new very expensive toilet.

Yes, toilet. Let me tell you a funny story...

Two days ago, as Adal was flushing the toilet and putting on deodorant (he's a talented guy) he dropped the deodorant in the toilet as the water was going down. Needless to say, the deodorant got stuck somewhere in the deep porcelain bowels of the toilet. He tried coat hangers, his hand (eeewww) and still no deodorant. So I broke down and called a plumber, figuring he can't charge me THAT much to use a snake (also known as an "auger") to get the deodorant out. Well, he showed up with his snake and informs me that just for the visit and use of his trusty snake it will cost me $201. !!! But I figure, I don't have much of a choice, unless I never use that toilet again. So he tries for about 45 minutes and no luck. So then, he informs me he has to remove the toilet from the floor in order to try using the snake from the bottom of the toilet up (apparently there's about 2 ft of plumbing just in the porcelain portion of the toilet alone, and many twists and bends). My friends, to pull the toilet is an additional $217. !!! So now I'm pissed, I don't see how there's a choice, and I'm thinking this is $418 that Adal will be working off from now till next year. Three hours later, still no deodorant! He's tried the snake forward, backward, and sideways. He even got the snake all the way through, which only made it worse, because what he ended up doing was turning the deodorant around vertically, making it impossible to budge. We could see it, we could touch it, but we couldn't get it out! I even stuck my hand in the toilet, we were so desperate. Finally he tells me it's just not getting out (and I believe him because I had to hear him grunt and cuss for 3 hours) and that I will need a new toilet!!! Of course, he has one in his truck ready to be installed, and after trying to convince me that a white toilet looked fine in my bone colored bathroom (!) I drew the line. A new toilet and the installation was $649, plus $50 bucks for trying to get the deodorant out (versus the $418) for a total of $700. And for a white toilet when my old one was bone. I told him politely that would not do, scooted him out of my house, said "I'll be right back", jumped into my Jeep with my house clothes, not bathed, combed, or even makeup on, and made it to Home Depot in 7 minutes. I ran (okay, waddled) in to the bathroom section, found an employee, asked him what toilets he had in bone, and listened as he went on and on about ordering a bone toilet since most were white. In the mean time, I found a plain old American Standard bone tank and said, "hey, there's one! Do you have the bowl that goes with it?" He had exactly one set left, which i swiftly manuevered to the cashier and out to the parking lot. And I was home within 20 minutes! I had the plumber put in the new toilet, but as he was doing so, the hose that is connected to the toilet valve broke. It was old and brittle, so I can understand that, but that was an additional $55! At this point, I didn't care. I wanted my toilet working, the plumber out of my house, and my bathroom cleaned up and smelling of clorox (he left such a mess!). So the final total came out to new toilet at Home Depot ($98), installation ($329), labor of using snake unsuccessfully ($55) and new 8" hose that costs $2 ($55) for a total of $537.

All for one deodorant.

But let me give you some pregnancy news... Remember that really bad back pain, sciatica? I rarely get it any more since the baby has kind of made her way down. She seems to be off my nerve now, which is great. It just makes it hard to walk around. I've been feeling pretty good lately, except it's getting harder and harder to sleep and get some good rest. It seems every position is uncomfortable, and just turning around requires a crane.

I had an OB appointment Monday. He says that because my sugar is under such good control and my blood pressure is good, I might make it to the 38th week! He has scheduled me for a C-section on December 15th, at 8 am. But he and I know that nature could always play a joke and have me go into labor before then. So you can be sure I will NOT be straining myself, or exercising, or ANYTHING to induce this labor before the 15th! At least I know the latest the baby will be born will be Dec 15. So I have a date!! Four more weeks to go and I get to meet our daughter!