Ask MetaFilter posts by moz

How can I cheaply patch ceramic bathroom wall tiles which are coming off?

moz — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 15:55:10 -0800

How can I cheaply patch ceramic bathroom wall tiles which are coming off? Of course, the best choice in the long term would be I think to replace the tile entirely. At this time that is not an option for us, so I'd like to ask this question. In a pinch, what would you recommend to fix some tiles which are beginning to pull away from the wall?

A good section of the lower row of tiles on the broadest wall in the bathroom is loose. I've used caulk to patch things in the past, which helps a bit, but the help is temporary as the tile either pulls away again or something else happens. One tile (which was coming loose at the base of it, where the rim of the bathtub meets the tiles) had steel wool inserted and fairly strongly caulked. In fact, that was my original problem tile; the problem seems to have moved onto others.

I've uploaded some pictures (they're on my wife's flickr account). As you can see, the tile problems lead up to a soap dish (currently unused), which itself is a bit askew now and not firmly anchored to the wall.

Myself, I've had the idea of putting up a tension rod and a shower curtain in addition to any other repairs I could make, which may help until the final solution (re-tiling the whole thing) can be done. But any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Where to find pink stoneware bowls?

moz — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 22:14:35 -0800

Where can I find a good set of pink stoneware (mixing) bowls? well -- i'm a little embarassed to ask this. my wife asked for some pink stoneware bowls (specifically latte bowls from williams-sonoma) for our anniversary, and i decided to wait a bit to order them so that they would arrive closer to the actual date. unfortunately, these bowls were discontinued in the meantime, and no store stocks them any longer.

i've struggled to find suitable replacements, and was wondering if anyone has such bowls or knows of such bowls for sale? it's a very specific dilemma, i know. what i have found so far (abode bowls from amazon was the closest match) hasn't been what she was looking for.

in retrospect, i should have ordered the bowls earlier. i realize this. my wife knows i'm asking about this, as she knows about my searches, and on some level, i'm pretty sure she's bopping my head with a small, rubber mallet. if you have any direction to offer regarding the bowls, it would be much appreciated. thanks!

What experiences have you had with 401(k) rollovers?

moz — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 23:39:44 -0800

What experiences have people had rolling 401(k)s over into traditional IRAs? have you had second thoughts after the fact? i'm thinking of doing this with retirement money from my last job, but i thought i'd ask around. there's a dizzying array of advice to be had ... and i'm not sure i'll be more oriented after this question is posted.

it may help if you picture travis--of the cosmos!--asking this question.