The faucet almost works.

Nick arrived home with tools. New tools that he had purchased specifically for this project and perhaps more projects to come. He had read DIY sites, watched DIY videos, and was up to the job. 5:25 - Nick clad himself in stretchy clothes for the job. 5:30 - He unwrapped the purchases and took inventory. We both admired the basin wrench. 5:40 - He started removal of the old faucet. 5:55 - I ran upstairs to get The Book because the removal was not going smoothly. The Book said, "Removal is often the toughest part of a job." but it offered no hints or help with the removal. By this point, Nick had removed the faucet, the handles, the escutcheons, and a lot of nuts. Yet somehow, the pipe structure stayed in place. Plumbing has mysterious powers. 6:05 - Dinner break! 6:30 - Back to it. This time, Jake held the flashlight. Holding a flashlight is always helpful. 7:10 - I was dispatched upstairs to look for help on the internet. 7:12 - I hear a loud, ringing, repetitive thump. I investigate and discover that half of the plumbing structure is free. I hold it in place so Nick can bang on it some more. Then I see the washer! One little C shaped washer is all that stands between us and a new fixture. 7:15 - We open the plumbers putty and stare at it, wondering where and how to apply it. Nick decides to smear it on some black plastic piece. The new fixture gets bolted in. Crooked. Nick unbolts it and reattaches it. 7:50 - The water thingys don't reach the new faucet. Nick heads out to buy some more. 8:05 - I attempt with my weenie little arms to remove the old water thingys. 8:06 - I give up. 8:40 - Nick's back. He gets the old water thingys off, nearly shearing off the hot water shut off valve turny thing in the process. The hot water shut off valve turny thing is surprisingly flimsy. I suppress the urge to laugh hysterically. Everything gets connected, we turn on the water, we turn on the faucet and everything works. Hurrah! 9:00 - "Aren't we supposed to run it without the aerator?" I removed the aerator and the hot water tap stops working. 9:15 - We discover that the new water thingys have a flood protection device that sometimes kicks in when the aerator is removed. We need to remove the hot water thingy and reseat it. We decide to clean up and do that tomorrow. So, as of tonight, I will have a fully functioning faucet. I've discovered that our marriage works better when I make demands instead of suggestions. Nick's discovered that he's smart enough to figure out basic plumbing. And next time we replace a faucet, I suspect it will take us closer to the one hour project duration that seems to be the norm. We might not be efficient, but we do get the job done.