Another CL score!

I have been searching for a high-efficiency toilet and almost splurged on a Caroma last weekend at AKA Green's Going-Out-Of-Business Sale. But their toilets were really long and in our tiny bathrooms, we need all the space we can get.

I have also been eyeing the Toto toilets, as they get great reviews from plumbers and home-owners alike. The Aquia Dual Flush was my toilet of choice, see how the entire tank is smooth making for super easy cleaning:I check occasionally on CL but there's never anything. However, this a.m. I spotted an ad for 3 Toto toilets @ $50 each!! I contacted the seller and we ran over and bought one for our guest bath. It is a one-piece toilet, high efficiency @ 1.6 gpf; however, it's not smooth on the bottom but hey - $50! It was totally disgusting scrubbing someone else's pee and my hands are burning from bleach water - but look how nice it looks. Ya' just can't beat $50, this toilet is $400+ new. The new soft-close toilet seat has been ordered, at a discount off of E-bay for $56.44 - more than the toilet! So...good as new Toto toilet for $106.44 - not bad at all!

Friday, our Turkey Day

I woke early in the a.m. yesterday, Leonard was not feeling well.... He had an unusual breathing pattern and was unresponsive to his favorite words "treat" "ride" "walk". Didn't even lift or turn his head. Additionally, he was drinking water excessively.


I started our Thanksgiving Meal early and had Leo at the vet by 11:30. We had to leave him there as we sat on pins & needles all day waiting for word. She said his BP was low, WBC high and he had slight anemia.


We picked up Leonard around 5pm, our vet didn't see anything extraordinary in the bloodwork, nor on the x-ray - except for some spondylosis between two of his vertebrae. She feels he needs to be on pain management indefinitely. And I can deal with this prognosis. So we are giving anti-biotics for the infection "somewhere" in his body evidenced by the high WBC, and he is on Tramadol for pain. If the tramadol doesn't help, we will add Metcam to the mix. Fingers crossed.


Here's a pic of our bird, may be the nicest looking one we've ever cooked! Leonard has been very fortunate to be spoiled with home-cooked turkey and brown rice for a few days as he recovers.

Thanksgiving @ Rustler's Rooste

Had a lovely Thanksgiving Dinner with wonderful family & friends at Ruster's Rooste located at The Pointe at South Mountain, although I think the resort is called something different now...

We are thankful to have spent time with Kat, Ed, Pam, Robin & Jo Anne overlooking the city and being grateful that we can still sit outside during this time of year!

The Termite's Thanksgiving

They thought they would visit us for a feast this Turkey Day! Can you believe they're back again??? Same place, outside the laundry room... At least this time, there are only 5-6 in the tunnel, last time there were LOTS. *Sigh*

Thanksgiving Day

We got the faucet - it's beautiful and a steal at $50 off Craig's List, regular MSRP is over $400. I did a quick fit to see how it would look. In the photo, I put a washer in the wrong place on the handle - it will be fit tight to the sink like the faucet is.

This is the penny tile I want for the shower basin.
Vertical subway tile installation below. I think I want it all squared up though like the picture with the gray tile. Although that installation may be less forgiving of any irregularities in the squareness of our shower stall.

Tuesday

Jeff & Tom had a crappy day today. The concrete basin did not get poured because a drain pipe broke while they were trying to jackhammer away some concrete. Blech. Pain in the butt.

They will get back on it Monday, after the holiday. So, our task is to find & purchase the fixtures, and source the tile. I am thinking white penny tiles for the floor, the skinny blue glass for the "thresh-hold" of the shower, the 2" blue glass squares for the recess and the 3 x 6 white subway tiles, installed vertically (and not staggered) for the walls. Whatcha think? Too busy?

Monday

Tom & Jeff tore out the left & right sides of the shower area. They will pour the concrete basin tomorrow. I have decided dot circle tiles would be kick a** in the pan! Found some matte white subway tiles that I am considering....

Tiles

I am really liking this combo. The white subway tiles with a stripe towards the top of the stall and the small squares in the recessed nook.

Master Bath Demo...second try

So we started this master shower/bath area when we first moved in 7 years ago. It got as far as the first picture and has remained like that. Too overwhelming, couldn't make decisions, etc. We used this shower once, when we first moved in, before we tore out the acrylic surround.

Our angel-of-a-friend and home improvement guru extraordinaire, Tom, offered to help Jeff with this while Jeff is on vacation. We debated with Tom whether to leave the cast iron tub or tear it out for a walk-in shower, which I am dying for, to make dog baths easier. We agreed to clean up the tub, check out its condition thoroughly and make a decision whether to demo or leave.

Upon cleaning it out this morning, I found a relatively large rusted chip missing from the enamel, rust on the edges and rust around the drain. So....my awesome husband started with the sledge. Feeling kinda regretful - look how thin the rust actually was and look at what a well-made, solid tub this was. It was a Kohler.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAM!

We went to dinner with Pam tonight to celebrate her 65th birthday, but she really looks only 50. These pics crack me up - she kept closing her eyes!!

Pam & Jeff

Pam & her Porckchop

Pam & Meagen - Take #1

Pam & Meagen - Take #2
Pam & Meagen - Take #3
Pam & Meagen - Take #4 (Success with red eye reduction button!)

My kick a** shoes + kick a** fireplace = ??

New do

OK, it was time for my annual haircut. Went to a new guy and trusted him with a style that was compatible with my reality - I don't spend time doing my hair...at all. This is his awesome blow out, I made it last two days. I had to wash it Saturday though and now it looks stupid with all my curl (not pictured!). DAD, I SMILED JUST FOR YOU - see the difference in the wrinkles!!

Whoops, cut Jeff off in the first pic!

But then I am all squinty-eyed in the second pic....

PetUtopia @ The Franciscan Renewal Center

Benefit for Lost Our Home Rescue, this rescue was started by and is run by local realtors who kept seeing so many abandoned pets with all of the foreclosures. The auction alone raised over $2,000. This does not include t-shirt and other retail sales, and over 40 raffle items.

The homes were designed by and built by local designers and architects. Three won prizes and then they were all auctioned off. People got total steals on these abodes. The one we bid on, against only one other person - went for $210. We actually won a gift basket in the raffle too.

This is the basket we won. Magda gets a new collar, Leonard gets a new dino bone, Trigger gets a new frisbee and they get to share the rest of the stuff.

The design team of the awesome house we bid on. This one was the most well-designed and built of the show but amazingly, it got 3rd place? Our cats would've loved it - most of the homes were built for small dogs, unfortunately. This house had a steel frame, beautiful wood slats, sliding 3Form doors and sunken doggie bowls inside.
The airstream one, Kat & Ed would've loved it!

And what doggie event is complete without some Freestyle?

This one won 1st Place.

These were individual shelves that mount on the wall - the red thing was for display only.

The stucco one on the left went for the highest, around $400.

This one went for only $50, including all of the toys!!