LOL! Good advice on the "no hand down the toilet!!!" Now THAT would definitely make the news! (When I would eventually be discovered!) Anyway, I believe I had SOME success with my first 'toilet auger' experience. I opted for the Rigid 3ft, because the 6ft looked kinda complicated with the whole expansion process and since the toilet is on the main floor with a basement underneath, I took a gamble that the extra three feet weren't really going to reach a likely-culprit area. I saw a little video with a plumber demonstrating plunging (which I did wrong) and using an auger on Monkeysee.com or something like that. I think that helped. At first I couldn't get the auger in. (It had almost 12 inches of 'snake' extended that seemed kinda flimsy and didn't match the picture on the package diagram. However, I got more and more determinded/forceful and yea...it went a little deeper and then more so. I never sensed a 'clog breakthrough' (unless that was it,) and nothing much happened but when I tried plunging again after that, I got more of the swirl (that I'll never again take for granted) and the ICKY BROWN WATER WENT DOWN and was replaced with clear water. It still doesn't seem to flush quite right -- still overfills a bit and still doesn't take all the tissue down, but it's better. Should I just keep trying the auger and plunger again until it's better or should I count my blessings (including that the cats didn't knock over those candles that I burned all night -- [I hardly ever burn candles and never leave them unattended, but the air needed all the help it could get]) and let it go in this 'almost acceptable' status? Please tell me anything you can. I'm listening and learning from you. I'm guessing that maybe I made some progress but still have a bit of a clog.(??) I realize that I may want to get a professional in to check the whole line at some point, but that will be after Detroit teachers get more money (???) and when the house is more acceptable. Thanks, again! Please keep commenting, I really appreciate it!