Science/Lab Themed Bathroom

I had an idea while brushing my teeth. It would be cool to decorate a bathroom with a science/lab theme. I already have a Periodic Table shower curtain and the thought of using a beaker (300mL?) for a toothbrush holder kicked off these other ideas:

wallpaper with molecular structures on it

microscopy photos

safety shower style shower head (would need a flow restrictor)

lab style sink and bench style counters (you could hang a towel on the metal arm)

lab looking GFCI electrical outlets

nalgene rinse bottle for soap dispenser (using thin soap like Dr. Bronners)

Anybody have other ideas? I was trying to think about ways to have the medicine cabinet look like some sort of lab storage.

note:  links are not necessarily the ideal products.  Many of the items I liked to are laboratory grade and therefore very expensive.  I think you could find/make some similar looking products way cheaper.  The wallpaper would probably have to be custom.

Eco Tip #6

Buy refills for your pens instead of throwing the whole pen away.

Pick #247

Of Montreal - "Heimdalsgate Like a Promethian Curse" from Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?

Accidental Bathroom Upgrade

I was preparing the shower to be re-caulked on Monday when I noticed that the linoleum flooring was starting to peel up by the door to the hallway bathroom. I looked beneath it and saw what looked like tile. I asked Erin what she thought I should do and we were curious, so I ripped up the linoleum only to find another layer of laminate flooring beneath. Ripping up that second layer wasn't too hard except where it was under the toilet. I ended up pulling the toilet out. I couldn't get the tank or the seat off, so I extracted it in one piece. The rest of the flooring came right up. The difficult part was removing all the adhesive to get to the concrete slab below. I am lucky enough to have a nice neighbor who lent me the lion's share of the tools I needed and didn't have.

This is an opportune time to redo the floor since nobody's using that bathroom anyway. I have been wanting to get rid of my linoleum, but not knowing what to replace it with. Tile seems like a good option for resale. I don't like how cold tile gets in the winter. I decided I wanted to paint the floor. Then I came across the other options of staining or epoxying. I ended up going with paint, inspired by the floors at Damn Good Bikes. My neighbor introduced me to an awesome local paint store where I consulted with a guy who recommended floor paint. We got a small paint container and it was super easy to apply. It'll dry overnight then I'll lay down a second coat, let it sit for a couple of days, put the toilet back on, then boom...new looking bathroom. I imagine it won't hold mold as easily as before (that stuff in between the two layers of laminate was nasty) and I think it looks cool. If I'm advised that it'll make the house harder to sell, I can always tile over top of it later.

Pick #246

Bad English - "When I See You Smile"

Crazy "Right Wing" Ad

Tri the Rez 2011 Registration Open!

Registration for Tri the Rez 2011 is now open!! Go to our page on imAthlete.com and click the "Register for this event" button and rock on! It's only $55 if you register before July 1st!

Pick #245

Mr. Big - "To Be With You"

Someone Stole My Bike...

...at least it was my polo bike. I'm least attached to it and it is the crappiest one I have (had).

I rode past the polo garage and didn't see my bike's handlebars over the short wall. I went back a couple hours later and verified that my bike was not there any longer. I saw what I thought was my U-lock on the ground, but it was some other OnGuard U-lock that had been cut by bolt cutters. I have no idea why people would want to steal crappy polo bikes. They won't have much fun using them for anything else. They won't be able to bring them to Krank It Up! to work on them. It's not like they just walked up and took an unsecured bike. Someone put a bit of effort into the heist. A few bikes have been stolen and I don't think they can do the thieves much good. I guess we're going to have to start keeping them in a more secure location.

I just don't understand theft of this sort.

I Don't Know How Old I Am

Back when I was 21, I could tell you my age when asked. These days I have to sit back and do a calculation based on my birth date. I guess there's nothing special until I hit 30. I'll probably be able to know my age again at least when I am 30. I just don't think it's quite as important anymore. Maybe a year makes a difference on one of those max heart rate calculations or something, but not socially and not practically. Who cares how old I am?

Pick #244

The Script - "Rusty Halo" from The Script