Overcoming thread size mismatches. So. I want to hang one of those wire racks in the shower that holds soap and a few bottles of shampoo. I get the brilliant brain fart that this faux crystal knob would work well, … Continue reading
Simmering in the background like a pot of overheated pasta, the deck calls to me like a siren sweetly singing. Harpies, more like. Last week I managed to get a dozen 12′ cedar boards stained and set on stickers in … Continue reading
Every guy knows that the only reason we suffer through home repairs is to justify the purchase of MORE TOOLS! Today I landed a new laser level, that shows me how bad everything really is! In this shot, the wall … Continue reading
I turned on the bath water, and out comes dirty water. Hmmm.. Is this another problem in the house, or coming from outside? It reminds me of scenes in horror movies where the actor is in the shower and the … Continue reading
I guess we can now officially refer to our condo in Everett, where we lived for the last six years, as “The Rental.” It will certainly take a lot of adjustment to get used to that idea, on a number … Continue reading
Sometimes, it’s all you can do. When I discovered dry rot under the kitchen counter top, it launched the entire discussion about how to go about repairing/replacing/remodeling the kitchen. For now, we’ve decided to make do until we can figure … Continue reading
A few of our friends and relatives have cautioned us, eyes wide with horror about the tales of our new house, to avoid arguing about all of it. “Oh my god! Don’t wind up getting a divorce over it!” Funny … Continue reading
“The definition of mastery is knowing how to disguise your mistakes.” Another day, another puzzle. The drawer in this cabinet will not stay in the rails. The width is off by a full 1/2″, which makes me wonder how anyone … Continue reading
Camille and her sister Jenifer survey the estate on our initial walk-through. “Hey! This isn’t bad… Just replace the counter top, and it’ll be like new!” It is tragicomic – when we first walked through, the countertops screamed out “REPLACE … Continue reading
Camille’s son Bob rolls out the latex in the living room:
I think the most difficult part of this adventure is trying to complete repairs amidst complete chaos. Neither the shop nor man’s land are up, so I am continually rummaging through boxes looking for notes, tools, hardware, jigs, fixtures, shims, … Continue reading
Camille used the master bath shower for the first time last night, and the faucet handle fell apart in her hand. She told me she out it back together, and she was worried she had cross-threaded it. It was indeed … Continue reading
Next up on the big disaster wheel, the washing machine failed. We called a repairman, who pulled out the filter, in which there was six socks, steel underwires from two different bras, four bobby pins, some small pieces of cheap … Continue reading
The afternoon sun spills across my Biltmore Sprite, now installed in our new front yard!
Things are falling apart faster than I can repair them. Late last night, I unloaded a small grouping of Camille’s clothes from my truck onto the rack in the laundry room, then turned to take the garbage bins to the … Continue reading