h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Kitchen light fell down, hot water tap in the shower stopped working, shower head blew off in the middle of a cold shower.

Yes folks, it's time to bring in either a wrecking ball or a plumber. Coin flip said...... and the plumber is tearing out the back of the shower as I type (got the day off). The kitchen light I can sort of do myself, I have the new (massive) one on two two by fours (won on tutu by fours) which rest on the top of opposite upper cupboards. Now I just have to wire it and somehow screw it to the ceiling.

I was surprised when my insurance people (who I deal with every two years or so when I buy another place) told me that premiums and the buy in go up after age 55. I now think I know why- like old condos, people have a 'best before' date. I think I'm reaching it, my shoulders get much more sore than they used to, I sweat like Niagra if I dare have a beer before I work and lately I find I almost enjoy watching someone do the work I could possibly do.

So as I sit here with my greasy hair drinking coffee made in the dark I bid you all best wishes in your chosen hobby.

... and don't you just love fixing the previous *builder's* shoddy construction, plumbing, wiring etc ?

Bet we could swap some harrowing tales..

ah, fun times!
In the middle of various house fixing things myself at the moment - just waiting for the roofer to turn up. No way was I messing about on the roof!

But at least you are allowed to fix electrics zoomer - over in wonderful England you have to, at the very least, get your work signed off by a qualified sparky. Luckily I have a very good sparky as a friend. But gone are the days of being able to rewire your house yourself - too many people doing it dangerously I guess.

Tal, next time I roll through your neck of the woods I'll buy a round (again courtesy of my employer) and we'll swap a few stories. I imagine yours might be a little more heavy duty than mine.

I wired and plumbed and entire house once- if you take your time it's not that difficult. I always relied on the inspector to fix any mistakes I made but now that I've worked on places that were passed decades ago I have my doubts. That and the fact that DIYers tend to patch rather than fix.

Three weeks! I thought it was less but Hootoo doesn't lie (often). I still don't have a shower, I had the use of one using imaginative creations of 6 mil plastic sheeting until the tiler came by a week ago. Since then I've been bathing at the kitchen sink, a 'whore's bath' by all accounts although I can wash my hair under the tap. All because I accepted my daughter's help and called a friend of hers who has a tiling company. Damn if he isn't an absolute perfectionist and won't accept tiles not in the 'dye lot' designation that he started with. Personally I think the difference can only be seen under polarised ultra violet light at dusk but so it goes.

Tomorrow I seek another source of tiles, a little wiser and a little smelly.

Having been ensconced in a children's hospital for a number of weeks at a time, where 'the showers are for the patients!', I discovered that hand sanitizer has a great many unintended uses (it took Edmonton's street people to enlighten me concerning the imbibatory uses of hand sanitizer).



Oh. But be careful around certain parts

http://www.google.ca/#hl=en&q=hand+sanitizer+reserves&meta=&aq=0&oq=hand+sanitizer+reser&fp=53b27f7a7a96cd50

I 'reserve' private parts (please excuse the inexcusable pun) for warm face cloths lightly drizzled with organic shampoo. (Obviously not wanting to use realpoo). This shampoo has a mint and real lemon base which shall we say 'enlivens' the experience enough to reassure me that said parts are sanitised.

'Nuff said.

The latest is the installation of a large mirror (unframed and attached to the wall). I am having it done by a professional but imagine my surprise when I found that the wall it's going on is dead straight for 7 feet or so and then from 16" from the adjoining wall it dips in 3/4"!!

I've shimmed it, but wtf?? I suspect the carpenter was drunk. All the time.