Pee and metal do not mix

I had some thought that this blog would provide me with a forum where I could sometimes give tips in raising boys seeing as that is what I have and that is what I know. This is my biggest tip yet. It has to do with the toilet...before I go much further you must understand my relationship with said toilet. A few years ago we were having problems with our old toilet clogging... after the umpteenth time unclogging the thing I decided in my infinite wisdom that I would change the toilet... Carp and I had had a disagreement the day before over something stupid so he wasn't talking much the next day. So off I went to Handley Lumber, for those of you who don't know the place just know it is owned by the Handleys, a big family in the area their mother is a saint having raised 4 sons who all work together though they are not always talking, it has a mill that has been running for I believe 3 generations and has lumber, obviously, but also has anything you need in regards to building a house. So there I was and I was obviously in a frame of mood that didn't need antagonizing. I went in and I saw Bill and he asked what I was working on this time ( a side note I am usually the one fixing things, not well, but at least fixing them with flair ) I looked in his eyes and I said "Bill do you think that I could replace my toilet, it needs replacing today and I think that I could do it, I dated a plumber once how hard could it be." I could tell he was unsure of how to handle this so he carefully picked his words. "Yes Caroline I think you could do it" and he proceeded to tell me what I needed how to drain the water and the tools I would need to do it and with the promise that I would phone him when I was done and he would come over and check it or send his son who was apprenticing to be a plumber. So off I went with my brand new toilet in tow...I cannot remember where my children were I am assuming they were well taken care of. I turned on my cd player I probably had Guns n Roses or ACDC cranked ( if I am getting down to business with a job its the hard stuff if is painting or dishes something like that it is ABBA or my Swedish music or possibly African we will save all that for another Blog) Carp knows by now if I have the hard stuff cranked enter softly and don't say anything. I do remember vaguely having some trouble removing the old toilet and a hammer coming and some bandaids because the pieces of ceramic can be sharpbut it was very exhilerating and I felt much better having released some of my tension on the old toilet which I then threw on the back deck. I proceeded to replace it which I did well though I had trouble with the ball thing in the tank it needed to be lowered and it just leaked a little where I didn't tighten it properly a towel on the floor fixed that for now. Bill came over and looked it over and said I did a good job, he tweaked a few things had trouble with the leak called his son who came later and fixed it. Carp came home didn't say a word as he went to the back yard to get wood I saw him glance on the deck at the old smashed toilet he quietly came in and looked at my handiwork flushed the toilet walked downstairs into the basement looked up at the ceiling to see if there was a gush of water and came up and said "I see you fixed the toilet." It is one of the things I am proudest of in the house. I put a beautiful dark chocolate seat on it that had brass nuts it was remarkable If I do say so myself. Well now reality hits, the seat needed changing I have tried changing it a number of times to no avail. Here comes the big finish the big tip ... when you have boys it is not a good idea to get a toilet seat with metal anything no matter how pretty, no matter how much it sets off the bathroom, pee and metal turn to rust, rust is extremely difficult to unscrew when it has gotten into the nut and screw, after a week of trying to unscrew this damn screw which was all that was left of the old seat, after I had ripped it off , I finally left it for a bit maybe it was the fumes from the WD40, or the idea that I was going to possibly smash my pride and Joy...but ten minutes later my amazing husband came out with the nut...I have never loved him more...well maybe. So now I look at my padded glaringly white toilet seat with plastic nuts and screws and I am filled with pride at our joint effort now if only I could pee in peace.