Conversation

[constance]

I went over to my parents' house this afternoon after work because my mother had made chicken piccata and wanted to give the leftovers to me (my father not being the sort to eat leftovers uncomplainingly). I told them about The Toilet Fiasco:

Dad (annoyed): So I guess I know what I'll be doing tomorrow.

Me: If you mean coming over to my house to put in a new toilet tank, you don't have to. I'll pick up the tank on the way home tonight and do it myself.

Dad: You can't do it yourself!

Me: Why not?

Mom: Yeah, why not?

I wasn't being all assertive and feminist when I asked why not (it rarely does much good to be all assertive and feminist with my father). I just didn't see why, after looking at how everything was put together while I was cleaning up this morning, doing the job myself was likely to be a job I couldn't do. It seemed simple enough to me.

And it was, too. Tonight I came home and did exactly what I told my father I was going to do, and now I have a working toilet again, and my father doesn't have to come over, and I don't have to listen to him bitch about having to do everything for me, and everybody wins.

Everybody seems to think that it's such a big deal, though -- not just my father. I wonder if it really is a big deal and I only succeeded because I didn't know enough to be intimidated, or if the world just thinks I am less capable than I really am. I may never learn the answer to this question, and I guess in the meantime I will continue to fumble and crash my way through all aspects of life, occasionally able to clean up the messes I make, good and proper.

:::

The chicken piccata, by the way, was excellent.

Comments

[aubrem.livejournal.com]

Well, it just looks like a big job to me because I have never looked at how it would be done. Do you have to seal it? How would you seal it if you have to? Is the tank heavy? Do you have to hold it up while doing something else at the same time? I'm not even sure how to turn off the water at my house.

Maybe it's not that it's a big job so much as that people like me don't like to do any "handy" type jobs at all. : )

So, it turned out to be the right size? Excellent. : )

Tank Replacement 101 (3 credits)

[tofty.livejournal.com]

It needs seals, yeah, and those are provided in the form of gaskets, which were pretty much put all into place for you so that you knew exactly what to do with them. The tank was a... let's be kind and call it an economy tank (I thought about getting a nice expensive one, but I want to redo my bathroom when the money's there, including replace the toilet which is old and ordinary and drains too slowly, and so I decided on a make-do tank instead), and the ceramic was a little thinner than the ceramic on the tank I broke, and not so heavy that I couldn't maneuver it into place. That was the hardest part, by the way, especially to do alone. There are three holes in the bottom you have to align with the toilet bowl holes, and you have to do it sort of blind and one-handed while holding the tank with your other hand to balance it, place the bolts and gaskets and start threading the nuts to hold it in place. And turning off the water for a toilet tank is easy -- there's a little valve in the wall that feeds into the tank, and you can turn it off at the wall.

This honestly wasn't hard at all, though. I think most people are very intimidated by plumbing -- including me! It wasn't until I saw everything fitted together with the front half of the tank conveniently broken away for viewing that I realized it was going to be something I could handle on my own, as long as there wasn't more to it than met the eye.

And yes -- exactly the right size! Yay for standardization!

Re: Tank Replacement 101 (3 credits)

[tofty.livejournal.com]

-_- I can replace a toilet tank but I cannot make a closing italics tag. Go me!

Re: Tank Replacement 101 (3 credits)

[leestone.livejournal.com]

Stupid fucking italics.

Re: Tank Replacement 101 (3 credits)

[aubrem.livejournal.com]

yes, I was thinking that the holding and balancing while doing fiddly things with the other hand would be the hard part.

I am still impressed.

I like the fact that you had a cross-section diagram (the broken tank) to show you how to do it. Or was it an "exploded diagram?" : )

[venivincere]

It's an equal measure of genius and can-do spirit. You just don't let the little things quell you. :-D

[tofty.livejournal.com]

Oh, I am pretty easily quelled, for the most part. I guess I was in a good mood yesterday! :D

[laurelwood.livejournal.com]

Oh, hurrah for your pioneering spirit! I ran and told the spouse about your fix-it prowess, and he's deeply impressed. I think toilets, or any project involving plumbing, intimidate many people to the point where they don't even want to take a deep breath, look at where the bolts go, and form a step-by-step plan.

[tofty.livejournal.com]

As I was telling aubrem, I am decidedly one of the intimidatees. I wouldn't have thought I could do it if you'd asked me before yesterday morning, and some things (like the drippy occasional leak in my bathtub faucet, or, if the bowl had needed replacing, the bowl) are going to have to be handled by a plumber. But I'm happy to do what I can!

*puffs out chest in manly fashion*

[imkalena.livejournal.com]

Holy wow! It seems like a big deal to ME. I am, like, awed.

Do you realize that your father is crushed, that his biggest joy in life is doing manly things for his daughter and then complaining about it? It's a 'swagger' thing. :D

Congratulations for doing something that bends my mind!

[tofty.livejournal.com]

Hahahahaha, you're right, of course. He actually does get a kick out of doing these things, grumbling about girls-who-can't-take-care-of-themselves the whole time and sending me to the hardware store 35 times. I am really kind of a spoilsport for not letting him do it this time!

Thank you! I am exasperatingly pleased with myself, you know! But it will pass. :D

[isiscolo.livejournal.com]

What imkalena said. I'm impressed! But not because I don't think you can do it - just that I am amazed anyone without, you know, lots of background in Toilet Engineering, can do it.

[tofty.livejournal.com]

Luckily the tank is the easy part, and only it needed replacing; otherwise I would certainly not have been able to wow you with my basic TE skills!

[submarine.livejournal.com]

But... you're just a girl!

[tofty.livejournal.com]

I know, a girl, helpless and alone. Who can I turn to in my hour of plumbing need? I need a hero! I'm holding out for a hero till the morning light!

*breaks into loud and obnoxious song*

[dahlia-777.livejournal.com]

I once assembled a BBQ by myself. I did ring my dad three times while I was doing it - but I still took the credit.

Anyway, go you!

[tofty.livejournal.com]

I think the BBQ is actually more impressive -- more fiddly little parts! Yay for handy girls -- go both of us!

[kickthebeat.livejournal.com]

oh, dads. i must say, this is very, very impressive! now i too will know, on the off-chance the roommate and i ever need to replace a toilet tank, that is definitely doable by girls. though she is way more handy than i will ever be; she would just say, OF COURSE WE CAN DO IT, and then ... do it.