Saturday, June 02, 2007

Handy Man

I had been dreading this repair for some time. The faucet in the kitchen had been leaking around the base and I imagined I'd have to buy all kinds of special tools, and maybe even replace the faucet which I knew would not be cheap. I can do a lot of things, but I don't do much plumbing or electrical work.
I called my brother-in-law who is a plumber and he said it was a simple fix. He gave me ten minutes instruction over the phone and the parts I would need.
Turns out, all I needed was two small "O" ring rubber washers and a wrench I had in my toolbox. Sixty cents worth of parts and a few minutes of time and I was through. In fact it took him longer to tell me how to do it that it actually took me to do it. I love America.
The bad part was that I had procrastinated so long that the faucet had leaked under the sink and the bottom of the sink cabinet had rotted. That took a little longer, but I pulled out my trusty saw, measuring tape, square, and hammer and I made the cabinet stronger than it was originally.
I'm fairly handy with tools and that simple fact has saved us a bundle through the years. I have a nephew that is very smart but when it comes to tools, he is dexteritily challenged. The last time he tried to use a hammer, he almost beat off his thumb and his index finger. God only knows what would happen if he got his hands on a saw or a drill. When he has a problem at his house, he calls his dad, his uncle Rick or someone else to come and do the dangerous stuff.
On a weather related note, we got about a half inch of rain this evening. I can hear my garden singing tonight.

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