Whenever I can fix or install something in the house, I get a good feeling.  It’s not only that I save money, but I have pride in my accomplishments.

So when we received our modest tax refund, we decided that it was time to fix the slow-draining sink and replace the high-flush toilet.

I had years ago put in a sink drain that had small holes in it.  My reasoning was that the small holes would catch any hair, etc., from going down the drain. It also made the water run out very slowly.  I went online determined to find a drain that would not involve a popup lever, which often causes problems.  I found something great on Amazon – as usual — a push-to-popup/push-to-pop-down sink drain.

I also needed a new connection between the new drain and the water outlet pipe because when I removed the old connector pipe, it broke.  Again, I found exactly what I was looking for: an expandable one-piece pipe that would form a P-trap angle under the sink.

I went to work yesterday to connect all the pipes.

Uh-oh.

The 1½-inch female expandable connector did not fit the 1-1/4 inch new popup drain.  A trip to the local plumbing store, and a new adapter, did the trick. No leaks.  How much fun it is to push to open the drain, and push again to let out the water.

My daughter and son-in-law live in an apartment with Toto toilets.  I have always been so impressed with the way they powerfully flush.  That was the toilet I wanted:  1.28 gallons per flush, instead of my old lots-of-gallons-per-flush toilet.

I rationalized the approximately $140 difference between the Toto and the toilet at Home Depot.

I told myself the Toto would pay for itself in happy flushes for years to come.

On Amazon, related items to what  you plan to purchase are routinely shown.

I purchased the related toilet bolts, and the related newfound wonder: A wax-free toilet seal.  One end of the seal sticks to the bottom of the toilet, and the other end protrudes down the toilet outlet pipe in the floor.

Perhaps there are reasons why I do not do many big projects these days.  After all, I am getting older. After all, I do not often have extra money.  And after all, there are not many projects I can think of.

But if I force myself to think of the next projects I’d like to do . . .

I’d like to get rid of almost everything in the garage cabinets, take down the cabinets, and have room to park my car next to my wife’s car.

I’d like to modernize the garage by tiling the floor, paneling the walls, installing great lights and motorized shelves which can be raised almost to ceiling level, and lowered to any desired height.

And that’s just the garage.  I suppose there will never be a dearth of projects around here.

I wonder what next year’s tax refund will be?

Mr. Ebsen may be contacted at robertzebsen@gmail.com