In the midst of remodeling chaos, my twelve-pack of toilet paper has been missing for days, and yesterday the last roll on the spindle ran down to cardboard. All the work crews equal a lot of people coming through my bathroom each day!

Today I went to use the toilet. I asked Manuel, one of the Pink Painters to give me a moment of privacy. As he was climbing down off his ladder in the tub, I mentioned that I didn't have any paper to use. I'd figure out something, I said. He replied with a smile: I have some paper you could use, and he pointed to the sandpaper sitting on the toilet tank.

Here's a picture of Bill Suplee, the Pink Painter:

Good cheer in this crew. Nice folks to have around. And they're doing great work - man, for all that I've done to this house so far, painting is an immediate, impressive revolution. It's a new home suddenly. Still covered in plastic and paper and tape, not so livable yet. But soon.