Category Archives: Repairs

Home Repairs

Posted on by
2

This morning I figured out why the shower door in my son’s bathroom was always difficult to slide open. The one door was off the track so I managed to lift it up and put it back where it belonged. This was not difficult at all but I was pretty pleased with myself for seeing what the problem was and fixing it.

This past weekend, I realized that an earring had been laundered and was stuck down in the dryer’s filter trap. I tried and tried to get it out but could not lift it out. I remembered that Dave had a magnetized screw driver but didn’t know for sure what it looked like and if it was still around. I was feeling very frustrated when all of a sudden I thought of chewing gum. I ended up not using gum but put a big wad of scotch tape on a stick and used that to retrieve the earring. I was pleased with myself over that too.

Earlier, I replaced the screens on my back porch with the glass windows for the colder months. The windows are heavy and bulky but I managed to do it on my own. That too made me happy.

So, hooray for me for fixing some things. Unfortunately, my garage door suddenly is malfunctioning, my outside light has quit working, and my kitchen faucet has developed a leak. I already know I can’t fix those things so it’s time to make some calls.

I dislike having to take care of everything. It’s tiring and I always end up feeling inadequate.

 

Tools

Foundations

Posted on by
Reply

It’s great how many meanings there are to the word foundations. I’ve been fixated on the foundation that holds up my house.

I’ve been working on getting someone in to repair the foundation in my house. Oh, what a mess. I have cracks in the foundation walls. I gather that they need to be repaired but according to the various men who have come out to look at it, they have all seen worse. Apparently this town is full of houses with cracking foundations because the place is full of clay. I, however, lie in bed at night worrying that my house is going to collapse.

Plus, while worrying about my house, at the same time at work, I was writing a class on structural damages in houses. Sometimes the world just hits you over the head. Repeatedly

Five estimates from five different companies. Prices ranged from $5250 to over $30,000 and everyone had different ideas as to what to do. I chose one of the lesser priced solutions. I think it will work. The guy I went with was a name I got from a friend. Then the woman who does my taxes gave me the same name and then last night I met some friends at the local wine bar and one of the women also knew the guy and was very positive on him. So, three personal references work for me.

Now he just has to get me on the schedule I guess. Contractors do not have the finely honed communication skills I would like.

 

2014 Update

Posted on by
Reply

I’ve been remiss in posting here. I was struggling with so many things that I just didn’t feel like sharing my feelings with the world.

So here’s my update:

  1. My son has graduated from high school and is off to college in North Carolina. He’s doing well and seems to be enjoying himself.
  2. My dog Nunu is still alive…she’s elderly and probably doesn’t get enough attention since it’s down to just me at home with her. I’ve thought about getting another dog but I’m just not home enough to do that right now.
  3. I’m still working in the same place. Nothing much has changed with that.
  4. I have made teeny steps towards fixing up my house. I do want to sell this house and move out of it but getting there is more work than I want to do at times.
  5. I had a tag sale last summer and sold off the wood working shop in my basement. I sold a bunch of other things as well. We’re still trying to figure out what is gone and what we still have. A lot of Dave’s clothes were donated to a veteran’s shelter so that was good. Having that sale was both freeing and very disturbing.
  6. I got out all of our Christmas decorations this year and decorated the house. Nick and I went out and chopped down a tree and brought it home and put it up. That was a lot more work than we realized. Next year we’ll probably buy a pre-cut one! That too was emotionally difficult but also positive.

I’ve been missing writing here so will try to come back to this.winter scene

 

Wow, this is exhausting!

Posted on by
Reply

So far in the past month I’ve had to take one computer, one laptop and one printer to the computer repair place. The computer had a bad hard drive and the laptop had a bad mother board. The printer appears to work but doesn’t after any time goes by. So, I bought a new laptop which I’ve had less than a week and it’s not working. Then the router went out so have a new one on order.

I’m so tired of being the IT guy. I would have dealt with most of this anyway but it just feels exhausting. I’m really afraid of what’s going to go wrong next!