h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

A urinal. That would be a good idea. They don't use anywhere near as much water as your standard khazi which, let's face it, doesn't need to be flushed every single time (if it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down), although most of us do.

I only flush mine a couple of times a day. Mind you, it can be a bit embarrassing if you have a visitor and forget to flush it before they go in there

When I was doing those renovations earlier this year, I replaced my toilet with a low flow, dual flush version. I don't let the yellow mellow as I don't like the smell or the stains. Having two flush levels is quite nice. Also, when my has dropped a deuce in my bathtub, the #1 flush is quite enough for that as well. (I'm the only person I know who keeps a litter scoop on the edge of my tub.)

The pong can get a bit much at this time of the year so the flushes become more frequent, but all the bogs in this complex have a two-stage flush so at least not so much water gets used. A good thing, what with Lake Buchanan only five or six feet off its record low and Lakes Buchanan and Austin less than 40% full.

I think the urinal as a downstairs loo, is a brillient idea... I've a strange unuseful cupboard, wich, luckily, at the back of it, has a covered bit, that is basically all hte in/out pipes of the house, so plubbing it, oo, maybe a 12 inch pipe is all that's needed err, flush on it? I really just wasn't going to bother... just c chuck some water and bleach down it, every now and then...

You probably don't need a flush on a urinal as long as you throw some clean water in it if the stuff in the U-bend gets a bit whiffy, and some bleach solution in there once a day.

Yeh... thats kinda what I figured... I mean, afterall, its kinda gona be in the utility room, next to the kitchen, so just some hot water from the kettle every now and then oughta do the trick

MIKE: Where's Vyvyan?

RICK: Well, he said he was going inside to water his plant. Strange that such a ruthless and sadistic maniac as Vyvyan should care for a begonia. Must have had it two years now.

MIKE: And it was dead when he got it.

RICK: Still, give him his credit. He's watered it every day.

MIKE: Only because he can't be bothered to go upstairs to the lavatory.

I think we should, er, move a way from the bog now. Unless you need to go, that is

Oh dear, I feel another toilet-related post coming on, despite what I just said.

My relatives oop north in Liverpool always used to call it the lavvy - short for lavatory. Which is interesting because we called it the toilet dahn sahf in London, and yet 'lavatory' is a very U way of describing it, while 'toilet' is frightfully non-U, doncha know.

How odd. we've allways just called it the Kiddiminster...

I've never been to Kidderminster so I don't know if that's warranted or not

neither have I. But I am dubiously informed that it is, justified.

I can think of a few places that would fit the bill.

Kiddeminster seemed nice enough when I was there

I can think of 3 things I would really really like in my house ... well four but there are plans for that one!

1. A Housekeeper - Definitely!

2. A lovely garden complete with girl shed and gardener (could be the same person as the Housekeeper)

3. A rural view


The fourth one - a sofa! Getting one of those once the renovations done so you could add floors, blinds etc to the list too but its the sofa I sometimes wish I had now!

Ugh... I just found out how much my new A/C system is going to cost.


Let's just say it's a good thing I had no plans on buying a new car this year. My 17 year old Subaru is still nearly new. Sometime in the next week or two I'll finally reach 100,000 miles.

Given the length of the British Summer I am not sure it would be a good investment for me either

*AHEM*