Joyous pleasure

Photo by BobbaLew.

Toto.

A couple days ago (probably last Tuesday, October 16, 2012) I had the extreme pleasure of fiddling Toto the first time since my wife died.
“Toto” is the lo-flo toilet we had our plumber install to replace our original toilet which was semi-clogged with urine-salts.
It’s actually a Toto toilet, so I call it “Toto;” same as Dorothy’s dog in “Wizard of Oz.”
I make allowances for Toto. Being a lo-flo toilet, it doesn’t like to compute. Number-two is a double-flush; first the bombs, then the toilet-paper. And it can’t handle more than three wads of toilet-paper.
I have to ration the toilet-paper.
Anyone reading this here blog knows I’ve blogged Toto before. It’s clogged a few times, but never permanently. I could usually unplug it with a bucket of water, although sometimes I’d need the plunger. With that bucket of water it’s no longer lo-flo; neither is double-flushing.
Since my wife died, I’ve tried to be careful with it — similar to my being careful with everything else.
Double-flushing, and even triple-flushing, when required.
But it was slowing. Not clogged yet, but hesitant to compute.
I got a bucket of water. It was still hesitant to compute.
Engage heavy weaponry; the plunger.
I plunged, which seemed to make a difference.
Now Toto was computing.
Back to the Toto of old.
How much longer can I do this?
I’m 68, but haven’t had to call the plumber yet.
Lo-flo my foot! Not when I have to use to much water to make it work.
I had to fiddle Toto again this morning (Saturday, October 20th).
My doggie daycare guy commented he once worked for Roto-Router, and they celebrated when lo-flo passed.
Tons of business, unplugging lo-flo toilets.
“We gotta save water,” they were told.
“Here? We got a big lake (Lake Ontario) just to the north. This ain’t Wyoming.”
He added that a black-market arose in pre lo-flo toilets.

• My beloved wife of over 44 years died of cancer April 17, 2012. Like me she was 68. I miss her dearly.
• I work out in the Canandaigua YMCA Exercise-Gym, appropriately named the “Wellness-Center,” usually three days per week, about two-three hours per visit. —When I do, I daycare my dog. (“Canandaigua” [“cannan-DAY-gwuh”] is a small city to the east nearby where I live in Western NY. The city is also within a rural town called “Canandaigua.” The name is Indian, and means “Chosen Spot.” It’s about 14 miles east. —I live in the small rural town of West Bloomfield in Western NY, southeast of Rochester.)
• My current dog is “Scarlett” (two “Ts,” as in Scarlett O’Hara), a rescue Irish-Setter. She’s seven, and is our sixth Irish-Setter, a high-energy dog. (A “rescue Irish Setter” is an Irish Setter rescued from a bad home; e.g. abusive or a puppy-mill. [Scarlett was from a failed backyard breeder.] By getting a rescue-dog, we avoid puppydom, but the dog is often messed up. —Scarlett isn't bad. She’s our third rescue.)