A New Super-Flushing Toilet

The first trial whirling of the new whirlpool tub

This photo, labeled "the first whirling" of our new 6-foot tub was taken on the last day of 2010. A few days ago a new elongated "tall and white, clean and bright" bathroom appliance appeared in the garage, a top and a bottom, in two cardboard boxes from Home Depot. This tall toilet (an easier throne to mount for the aging user) promises to handle 70% MORE MASS (LOL) and eliminate the need for a plunger. Now that's cleaner living at its finest.

I hope this installation is simpler than that of the whirlpool tub. When a plumber came to "crack the stack" (plumber's crack)  for the tub drain we of course anticipated the next steps necessary to complete the bathroom. We still need to paint the walls and sand the oak floor (and buy a matched set of spa bath sheets, maybe with a warming hanger), but the big decision will be where to cut the hole in the floor. (I hope my husband arranges for plenty of help.) We still haven't picked a sink or vanity, either, which will probably not be over-sized in this tiny, former bedroom.

 I just had a brilliant thought--why not add a bidet!--more water use and an opportunity for even cleaner living.

Toilet is such a nasty name and there seems to be no good substitute for the appliance. With a little research I found it is not the same thing as a commode. We have lots of euphemisms for using the bathroom or the restroom (i.e., I have to go see a man about a horse), but I wish we had a nice word for toilet. It would sound better with a French ending as in bidet.

What a great country, what Great Lakes (Michigan) we have for a water supply and what fabulously great water pressure we have living at the bottom of a hill, just a few blocks from a water tower. I know that our way of life, comparing only water use, is extravagant by the standards of much of the world. Here we water huge lawns and thousand of golf courses without a thought (until the water bill comes). When I was in Israel, the whole country (small, I know) had one golf course. Our guide said it was because of the excessive water use required. Even as I try to keep all things green in the garden, my husband supports golf courses that must keep things green on the fairways.

It would be a good thing, I think, to buy a well in Africa. And it would help me to assuage any tinges of guilt I may develop over my extravagances, living as the Watering Queen. Perhaps it could be a family project, like our Compassion child was in the past. Adding more water use in Africa wouldn't reduce my big wet footprint here, but I still think it is a good idea.

Back in the day, a bath was a luxury that occurred, maybe, once a year, and then would be shared by the whole family, with the baby last--and thus: "Don't throw out the baby with the bath water." A recent funny piece I read about this suggested that the yearly bath occurred in May when things warmed up, and so more weddings occurred in June, when the bride would still be fairly clean from that bath!!

 A plain and small white sink would be just fine, or even a Victorian bowl and pitcher, or just a dispenser of wet wipes... we can make room for a bidet! Stay tuned to see if I get my way...

Bob the Plumber framing the tub