Friday, July 8, 2016

Home Repairs the Single Way

"Stay calm," I told myself. I was a little uncomfortable, but nothing hurt. Luckily I'd fallen on my bed, flat on my back, arms spread out. I could have snapped my fingers to summon the butler--if I had a butler. Next best thing--snap at the kids, but they were all at school.
Elmer, AKA Useless

Elmer, one of my cats came in, jumped on the bed, stepped over my face, stepped up onto the large and heavy mirror I was under, laid down and started to purr. I was pinned by a mirror with a cat on top.

Kind of like a fly under a flyswatter, except I wasn't smashed. I wished I was smashed, but I wasn't; it was just another day of widow-meets-home-decorating-challenges.

Score: MIRROR - 1
WIDOW - 0

I'm mirror-free now. I wriggled out from under the thing before the kids got home. What are your most embarrassing home repair stories? If you haven't had any yet, then click the link below and to start the DIY and build yourself some LOL memories!

Home Repairs That Shouldn't Require A Handyman
Here's a quick overview:
1. Toilet Tweaks: You and I could do these! Plus you wouldn't have to subject yourself to plumber cracks (yay!)
2. Replace a broken light switch: If you know how to find and turn off the circuit breaker, you can do this too. Consider buying the circuit tester they mention, they're really great for finding live wires too.
3. Tuck-pointing: Honestly? I wouldn't try it because cement is known to dry before I'm done.
4. Installing a dimmer switch: see #2.
5. Replacing a broken floor tile: Really? Renting all those power tools too? Just put a throw rug over it.
6. Patching a concrete crack: see #3
7. Replacing a faucet: this looks do-able!
8. Installing a ceiling fan: NOT unless you have the upper body strength, have a spotter, and don't get dizzy on ladders
9. Removing a stripped or broken screw: maybe
10. Repairing your gutters and downspouts: If you're comfortable on a ladder this could save you from a lot of water damage and $$$$ repairs. But--- consider if it's worth falling off a ladder for.

I'd love to hear your tips, tricks and most embarrassing home repair moments.
ferree

6 comments:

  1. Oh yeah! I've had MANY of these happen ! But the most embbarassing one was when I THOUGHT I could replace the trim around the garage door that had rotted. When I was trying to pull off the old trim, it suddenly gave way and I fell backwards on my butt on the ground ! That would be embbarassing enough, but the next door neighbor, who was in full view of my escapades, was having a COOK OUT with many people standing around in the yard ! Oh, yes, my MOST embarrassing moment !
    Darlene O'Lena

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  2. Good one Darlene! Of COURSE the neighbors were having a cook out! LOL That's just my kind of luck too. Did anyone take a video? I'll bet it would have been a winner :)

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  3. Score:

    ELMER - 2
    MIRROR - 1
    WIDOW - 0

    :)

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    Replies
    1. Uh-oh, Swans, it looks like Elmer is starting to get to you!

      Delete
  4. Donnie and I were restoring a 100 year old home ( that had served as a doctors office for 50 of its years) when he died. It was also in Virginia...yet, we lived in Tn...so home repairs and learning from assorted tradesmen became my 'mission'! It wasn't as bad as the movie 'Money Pit' but I became determined to 'watch and learn' inorder to save money. My story is not exactly a 'repair' but several weeks after Donnie's death, I was laying in bed reading. My cats were lying next to me and I realized their heads were turning in circles, watching something at the ceiling. A small bird had somehow made his way into my bedroom. Normally, I would have turned to Donnie and said ' there's a bird on the curtain rod' but he was not there and this was now my job! It's amazing what you can do with a broom, metal cake cover and a shopping bag while 2 cats are ready to pounce outside the bedroom door! If we learn anything from these 'adventures' of widowhood, it is that God gets us thru them and one day we will laugh again!

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  5. "It's amazing what you can do with a broom, metal cake cover and a shopping bag..." all of the sudden I picture this in my head and I'm laughing out loud! So glad you survived and are laughing again Susan! Thanks! :)
    PS -- I've often thought of that Money Pit movie when we had our "Century Home" that was an old school house -- and one of the old "Vacation" movies where they're trying to get a bat out of the summer cabin. Been there, done both and lived to laugh about it despite the initial screams! lol

    ReplyDelete

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