The princess is speechless

OK, I'm the first to admit that we tend to be pretty productive people. We DO tend to get more done in a day than others get done in a month. But today? Amazing.

My success was shallow compared with Mason's, so I'll start with me. Pushing five months after we left Minnesota, I unpacked our few personal items -- knickknacks, books and artwork -- and organized much of everything into the bookshelves that we bought yesterday at the Atlanta IKEA.  Then I installed curtains in the dining area. See:

OK, the big news? Really big? Let's talk bathroom. You haven't read much about our bathroom, because, frankly, I want visitors some day. ... Let's start by telling you the room was "carpeted" with a greenish/blue outdoorish variety (pieces seen here after removal):

And it STUNK. To HIGH HEAVEN. It may have had something to do with the cracks in the base of the toilet, though Mason initially denied they existed. My evidence:

Now, lemme tell you how in our waning days in Texas, Mason and I were quibbling for days over the priority of a new toilet. Mason's lovely ex-wife, Karen, had to listen to much of this argument, poor woman. Mason first only relented to a new toilet seat, but after I applied princess-like pressure, Mason amazingly agreed to getting a new toilet -- "the whole toilet," as I had demanded. Karen's classic comment: "Wow, he really DOES love you!"

We bought the new toilet within the first few days that we were here. But it didn't get installed. We had other priorities, such as water and plumbing for that damn toilet. But today Mason was building the IKEA cabinet for the bathroom and, to my utter delight, he decided the carpet had to come up before the cabinet could go in, and THEN once we saw how "wet" (UGH) the carpet was, then the old toilet had to go. PRAISE MOHAMMED.

Tonight I pee in a brand new toilet, leak free, AND even though I have to fill the tank with water from the well, it flushes!!! AND, get this, people: Mason promises me the toilet will be fully plumbed with well water within a few more days.

The princess will sleep well tonight.