Honey Do...

Fix the window, caulk the tub, and clean the gutters… Common items on a “Honey Do” list. My late husband fashioned himself quite the Mr. Fix it. He was an engineer so it was assumed he could fix or repair most things. In most cases that was the correct assumption. While it sometimes took longer than expected, things were generally taken care of and his list remained properly attended to. Generally is the key word.

My kids could tell you stories of our Mr. Fix it until you laughed so hard your sides ached and you begged them to stop. They could tell you of the time the brake lights on our old beat up car malfunctioned. The car was so old that we couldn’t get the part at a price we could afford. So he fashioned a hand held press switch to be pressed whenever the brakes were applied. A cord ran from a hole in the trunk, across the back seat and up to the front passenger seat. This became a task for the kids to manage and master. Just as you might call “shot gun”, the kids would call “lights”. The idea was to have a kid hold the switch, each time the break was applied my husband would yell, “Brake” in his big booming voice. The switch would be pressed and the brake lights illuminated. The switch had to be held until the signal to release was given. Now this is unique but also a bit endearing. Imagine the bonding of father/daughter or father/son as they worked side by side to arrive safely at their destination. Seriously? Just don’t mention the times the kids were tired from swim or hockey practice or the driver, lost in his thoughts forgot to give the signal. I believe my kids received more than their fair share of exposure to hand gestures from upset motorists.

The very first house we ever owned was a small 3 bedroom one bathroom bungalow. The house had been in my husband’s family for years and had seen kids, grandkids, and pets. For all that house had been through, it was in better shape than you would imagine. We were able to get a few years under our belts before really having to make repairs. One area needing a great deal of care was the kitchen. We had such plans for that space. We would talk about it when we had down time and needed to dream. We always dreamed bigger than our bank accounts would have allowed. We were talking granite before it was cool. The kitchen we designed during our conversation was roughly 3 times the square footage of our whole house. But really, did it do any harm to dream? Well maybe… One Sunday morning after a wonderful night of adult conversation, I walked into the kitchen to see him standing there staring at the walls. “We can do this” he said very calmly. “Do what?” I responded, trying not to let fear creep into my voice. “We can remodel this kitchen”. “It will be so easy” he said with the giggle of a mad scientist. Now I was scared. He was serious. We couldn’t do this… we have 2 kids, 2 jobs and a dog. When the heck did he think we were going to do this? Maybe I should have actually said that to him, but I tipped toed past him to make coffee. I didn’t see it coming. It really wasn’t my fault. But within moments… Crash! Walls began to come down, the pantry was obliterated. The cabinets ripped from the walls. It all took such a short amount of time. But like a car wreck it seemed in slow motion. Once the dust was cleared and the last of the debris was hauled outside, what was left was a shell. The walls had been ripped down to the studs. You could see the backside of the bathroom medicine cabinet. I always wondered where the little slit inside older medicine cabinets marked used razors lead to. Now I knew… nowhere, just in to the space between your walls. My husband assured me new the drywall would be up in a few days, the new cabinets hung within the week. 3 years later we sold that house... no walls, cabinets or counter tops had been added. No granite…even before it was cool.

So now that I’m living my life without my own Mr. Fix it, I’ve been struggling to get things done around what we called, our dream house. We bought this new construction 4 bedroom 2.5 bath house about 5 years ago. At closing, before I would sign any papers, I declared a moratorium on any do it yourself projects. No repairs could be performed more significant than the changing of a light bulb without professional assistance. My husband reluctantly agreed and I signed the mortgage papers. I did relent on a few things over the next few years. Neighbors, friends and relatives have all very generously offered to fix this and that or take on the odd job around my house. I love them all for their care and genuine offers but I have concerns. What if they fall, or break something? What if they really mess up on whatever they are helping with? I would be crushed and given my way of not rocking the boat, I’d probably never say anything to them about their mistake. Not the best situation. So I’ve thanked them all but respectfully declined. What I needed was a good old fashioned handy man. But who or how? Is there a requirement for the handy man to be an old guy? How do you find one? Is there really a guy who would come to your house and do all your odd jobs? The only handy man I ever really heard of travelled through Mayberry on his way to Mount Pilot and Aunt Bee hired him to fix the shutters or paint the fence. Sarah’s “Honey Do” list: #1 Find a Handy man.

I overheard a conversation 2 guys were having at the Farmer’s Market a few weeks back. They were talking about a service that came and did work at the one guy’s home. I shamelessly jumped in. I wanted information and I wanted it now! I went home and googled the name the old guy had given me. Now I know I’m not supposed to plug a product or service, but really… I have so little power and usually play by the rules so here goes… Mr. Handyman is an actual company in Trenton, MI. In fact they are the Business of the Year for 2010 in Trenton and rightly so. My initial contact was more than pleasant and the young woman was knowledgeable and very sweet. I loved the appointment confirmation the day before too. Promptly at 9:00 am, James rang my door bell. James knew what my needs were and gave me a very fair quote that I readily accepted. Within a matter of 3 hours all the jobs and projects that had been left undone for the past 17 months were completed. The quality of the work was outstanding. I have to say that I am not a big fan of strangers in my home. But I felt completely comfortable with James. I got the distinct impression that James was playing a mental game with all of my projects. He seemed to be setting goals for himself and as he checked each item off the list he was that closer to the finish line. James is an excellent representative for Mr. Handyman in Trenton. At one point James had to run to the store for a part. This was usually the point that all motivation broke down when my husband was my Mr. Fix it. But James returned with no less motivation than he had when he arrived earlier. I began to wonder if James had a Dad that fixed things. I’ll bet he never got to activate the brake lights by pressing a button! I also began to miss the fun we had doing house projects, my husband and me. You see his name was James, Jim as well. But the James in my house fixing things today didn’t ask me for a drink or expect that I’d make lunch or need me to praise his efforts. I miss that.

So now I know if I ever need to remodel the kitchen, I have someone who will complete it in far less than 3 years. And just think... granite counters are still cool!