I didn't have problems with the Clapper, just a Flapper.

 

Instead of talking about GI-Tract issues that cause toilet problems, today's focus is on the more mundane - a toilet flapper.  RQS and I were ready to go out and get a mani-pedi together, and then we had a problem.  The toilet wouldn't flush, and water was continually running.  This could only mean one thing: The toilet flapper was stuck in the up position and wouldn't close. 

I've been dealing with this problem for ages.  It was not because the flapper wouldn't make a good seal.  It was because the chain connecting the flapper to the flush handle kept getting stuck or disconnected. I jury rigged some solutions, but hoped I'd replace my ugly yellow toilet before having to deal with the flapper.  You may say that replacing a flapper is easy.  And so it usually is.  But I couldn't get the darned thing off of its mount, and I refused to call for expensive help. To make things a little worse, I couldn't turn off the water to the toilet (a problem which will require a plumber's help to deal with a frozen shut-off valve).  So I knew that whatever solution I chose would need to be done while water was flowing into the tank.

This was not a task I wanted to do on a Saturday when everything was going to be expensive.  I'd rather be getting my Mani-pedi.  So, I rushed to the hardware store and bought 2 flappers to be safe.  After 30 minutes of half-assed work, I got the new flapper installed and ready to use.  Yes, I expect a few problems with the chain.  Now, it's much better than it was a day ago, and that's what counts. And I did get a pedicure later in the day - a nice way to end the afternoon....

Lots of little stuff, but nothing of major importance.

 

This was "one of those days."  No, it was not a disastrous day.  Instead, it was a day where everything was a little bit off, and led me not to accomplish much.

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I may have mentioned that my apartment's super was coming over today to work on the bathtub water faucets.   To do this, I had to be up early, so that I could be ready anytime he was to come.  This meant that I would be dressing as Mario today, as I would be able to take care of some errands that required the presence of me in boy mode.

Once dressed, I put two loads of laundry into the wash, and then took care of errands.  Between the time I put clothes into the wash and then the dryer, I picked up some lunch.  Once the clothes were in the dryer, I deposited $440 in checks and took out $140 in cash to pay my super for his time and materials.  Laundry was done by 1 pm, so I had the time to sit and relax in the apartment until the super came.

This would be the first time I payed loose attention to the work my super was doing in the bathroom.  An hour later, I had learned a couple of things about bathroom plumbing, as well as having a plumbing fixture that should last a few years.  The super only asked for $50 to cover the parts he bought.  But I slipped him an extra $50 to help compensate him for his effort (even though it was done on co-op time).

Now that I had a working faucet again, I could rest.  Then TCL (The Cat Lady, as I call her) called just before I was about to take a short nap.  While on the phone, I found that I got an email from NYS Office of Unclaimed Funds - we need 2 more documents before they can send us any money.  That's OK with me, but I don't have access to certain things, and I forwarded the email to my brother for his opinion.

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Thankfully, the weather will be cooler tomorrow, and I will feel better about going outside - if it doesn't rain.... 

No Water Today!

 

When I came home last night, I didn't see a post on the apartment doorway's bulletin board.  And this screwed up my day today.

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While I was on the way home last night,  a friend invited me for dinner at a local Mexican joint.  Since I had already scheduled lunch with SJM and didn't want to have two big meals in one day, I scheduled dinner for the end of the month. When I arrived home, I saw a paper left in front of my door that said that the water was being shut off for emergency work on the water main.  Assuming the work was already done, I crumpled it up and figured that I'd be able to take a shower the following morning.and see SJM for lunch.  That was a big mistake....

Morning came, and I turned on the faucet to take my shower.  But there was no water!  So, I called the super, and he said that the work had to be postponed until today.  AARGH!!!  I wasn't going to go out without a shower, so I texted SJM and rescheduled things.  Unfortunately, I had no way of rescheduling things with my other friend, so I had nothing to do this evening.

Around 6 pm, I decided to get up and do a little retail therapy at Walmart.  Arriving at the checkout counter, the cashier gave me a hearty compliment regarding how I looked. That brought a smile to my face.  Although I didn't need that much from the store, I ended up spending more than I expected.  And I could say the same for the following visit to Trader Joe's.  

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One thing of note: I think the piercing in my right earlobe has closed up.  Given when I'll be taking my next cruise, I'll wait until after my return to have the piercer look at it.....

Getting the plumbing fixed - a short post

 

Nothing related to my transgenderism to talk about today.  Instead, what I hope is a finale to a plumbing problem that caused me some grief 2 weeks ago.

The above pickure is a view of my bathtub area from the apartment below.  You will note that the shiny pipe connection is new, as the old one was near the point of failure.  This was partially the cause of the problem that happened on New Year's weekend.  There was an incorrectly seated drain control lever that was also a partial cause of the problem.  Since the important things that caused the problem are within the building's walls, I am hoping that I won't be held responsible for the problem.

The plumbers arrived at 9:00 am, and I was glad to be up and about a couple of hours earlier than usual. This was a day that I wouldn't be able to be out and about as Marian, so I made sure to be dressed as Mario when the plumbers arrived.  The problem was fixed relatively quickly, and the plumbers were gone by 11:00 am.

Although I could have gotten showered and picked up RQS as Marian, I decided to make this a "Mario Day" - if only to make RQS a little more comfortable after a long trip to get here.  But I'll discuss the weekend in another post.

The saga of water that flowed wrong - so far.

 

On New Year's Eve, RQS overfilled my tub, and water ended up flowing onto the ceiling of the apartment below me.  Although I'm pretty sure I know both cause and way to prevent this from happening in the future, I did the safe thing and reported this to the co-op management company, and asked for someone to investigate.  With a statement from the co-op saying what damages I may need to take care of, I could then go to my insurance company and file a claim under my policy.  This should be a no-brainer, and something that should be taken care of with a minimal amount of fuss on my end.  But things aren't as simple as they seem.

Both my downstairs neighbor and I reported the problem to the managing agent over the weekend, and we expected return phone calls (or emails) that next Tuesday.  All I got was crickets.  I figured that by Thursday I'd need to write again and ask for an update - which I got.  Finally some information!  The site representative was in contact with our plumber and would look to set up a date for an inspection.  I was bothered by this.  The same plumber was here that Tuesday morning, I was here that Tuesday morning, and my neighbor was here that Tuesday morning.  There was no excuse for not asking the plumber to spend a few extra minutes to come to our two apartments and determining the root cause of the problem.

The following Tuesday, we held a co-op board meeting.  As much as I can't talk about many things that happened in the meeting, I can say that I brought up my concerns to the site representative.  And he told me that he already scheduled an inspection of the two apartments' plumbing on Friday at 8:30 am.  What if either of us was planning on being away?  The site representative should have checked with the apartment residents before committing to a date and time.

As you can guess, I am annoyed.  From the time that the problem was detected to the time the apartments were inspected would almost be two weeks.  You can easily see why I want this site representative replaced as soon as possible.