I'm married to a hard-working guy who prefers to tackle home improvement projects on his own. I'm usually ok with this (we'll get to the "usually" part in a second) and for the most part, I'm thankful that I'm married to a really handy guy. If I need a floor put in (even if it's for the second time), a sprinkler system installed or a wall built, he's right there, boots on, power tool in hand. It seems that he knows how to do just about anything, and if he doesn't, he'll figure it out. The only thing he's absolutely refused to do at home is deliver any of our children, even though he's quite capable of doing so. My guess is because it didn't require a power tool.
The thing is, it's not like he enjoys every project that comes along. Painting is probably one of the easiest, no-brainer jobs there is, but Chris absolutely hates it. If he so much as sees paint chips on the counter and me staring at a wall, he goes into silent mode, his eyes glaze over, and he promptly checks Telestaff to see if any overtime is available. Despite how much it pains him, he still refuses to allow anyone else to do it - not even me. So he'll begrudgingly get out the tools and his radio, crank Jimmy Buffett up as loud as he can (because if he's going to suffer, I am too) and get the job done. Money saved, another job crossed off the list. He's the man!
The best part about Chris's handiness is that it has saved us thousands of dollars over the past few years. The downside is that often times a project can drag on for weeks, months, and even years. Our backyard, AKA "the yard that shall not be named", has been an ongoing project that was started shortly after we moved in almost four years ago. In his defense, it's a huge yard and turned out be a much bigger labor of love then he anticipated, but he hasn't let it defeat him. He has pressed on and after months of moving and hauling away dirt, building the Great Wall of Bowden, and laying the underground work, it's all finally starting to come together. Today, after renting the tractor for what must be the 50th time, he leveled and moved the last piles of rock, and now we're just a couple of weeks away from an RV pad and about 6 weeks away from grass. Yahoo!
Chris and I have had so many disagreements about the yard that shall not be named, but I know that when it's all done, it's going to be so worth the wait. He's going to feel good about all the money we saved as a result of his hard work, and I'm going to be so grateful to have a a green yard that I'll forget how long it took. We'll let the kids run through the sprinklers that their amazing dad put in, I'll relax with a good book under the shade of the patio cover he built, and Chris will stand back, beer in hand and quietly admire all that he accomplished.
Then he'll lace up his boots and ask me what's next on the list.
2 comments:
Ok really??? Is there anything that he doesn't do? Can I send my husband over for handyman lessons? \"/
Wow- only 6 weeks til grass?! That will be so fun, you'll probably just stare at it for quite a while... years ago, (before I'd ever owned a house) we met a couple who happily told us they'd "finished" all their projects. When I asked how long they'd lived there, I was appalled to find out it was 12 years (what slugs!)! Well, we've been living one episode after another of This Old House ourselves now since 1986, and still have not discovered the meaning of the word "finished."
--Lorraine
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