There has always been this one sad fact about the American founding that has bothered your humble correspondent. As regular readers know, it has been my fate and calling to spend most of my life in other people’s bathrooms, creating comfortable private sanctuaries from the cold world outside. So for me it is tragic that … Read more
It might not surprise you that this old handyman was never much into Hollywood nor the Oscars. But what IS surprising is that in the last week, maybe for the first time in my lifetime, I found myself at the forefront of a societal trend, as many of you joined me in my annual tradition … Read more
You might have guessed that, as a busy handyman, your humble correspondent doesn’t spend much time pondering the teachings of the great philosophers. But, I do grab wisdom wherever I can get it. Like from that late 20th century philosopher, Madonna, who famously said “We are living in a material world, and I am a … Read more
A lot of towns west of the Mississippi went through “boom” times when gold or something else was discovered, followed by “bust” times of decay and neglect. Back in the olden days, when your humble correspondent was just a handy-boy, I learned that our big boom came when folks migrated here to trap furs. But … Read more
Special Garage Makeover Edition: From Total Neglect to Near-Total Neglect There’s a good reason your humble correspondent has never spotted “Live, Love, Laugh” stenciled on the walls of a garage. If homes were a family, garages would be Cinderella, the poor neglected stepchild. Like Cinderella, garages do a lot of dirty, essential work. But, they … Read more
A long time ago, when your humble correspondent was just a handy-boy, I watched a scene from the Wizard of Oz that both shaped and distorted my thinking. Remember when the tornado was coming, and Auntie Em and the farmhands ducked into the cellar from an outside hatch, and two mostly flat-lying doors closed behind … Read more
Not that I’m looking for sympathy, but COVID mask-wearing has really taken a toll on this old handyman. They fog up my glasses and block my peripheral vision, as homeowners point to all the strange places I need to poke my head into. A crash helmet would have been a better fashion accessory than a … Read more
I look forward to Super Bowl Weekend each year, but not for the same reasons you do. My annual tradition is visiting a Home Depot during the game. There’s no one there but me, plus store clerks whose only job is to serve me personally. It’s the one day a year this old handyman can … Read more
You’re a busy person, and you keep a tight schedule. You make firm appointments with just about everyone — your doctor, hair dresser, pilates instructor, even your friends. But when it comes to handymen and contractors, for some reason that’s a different story — you just hand over all control of your schedule to them. … Read more
Congratulations, homeowners! After last year you are now the world’s leading expert on the limitations of your house. There were more meals in the kitchen as restaurants and school cafeterias shut-down. There was more business and school work done from home, as you scrambled to find any space quiet enough, bright enough, and with enough … Read more