Welcome To Do It Yourself

It's okay to ask for help...

I like to think of myself as self sufficient. I know that isn't always the case, but in my mind I could go off the grid if I had too. I enjoy working with my hands and love the feeling of burning muscles after a long day of manual labor. Perhaps I chose the wrong path by getting a job where I sit at a desk most of the day, but I do like my job. 

I like being able to fix things and enjoy learning alternatives ways of doing a task (see my post about hand washing my cloths, I've actually expanded my practice). This weekend, my college roommate accidentally blew a fuse in the kitchen while making breakfast. When I went to go pay the rent I told one of the handy men and he came down and showed me how to fix it without getting someone else. It was pretty easy, though a little different from the setup I was used to back at my parents house. It was nice to know how to fix it, however the circuit breaker is in an outdoor closet where spiders like to hang out in the summer. I think that will encourage me to not blow a fuse.

I still have toilet problems every now and again. A few weeks ago my toilet decided to flood my only bathroom in a magnificent display of exploding water. It turned out that one of the hoses that fills the tank had come loose and was spraying water in the wrong direction (as in into my bathroom instead of into the tank). I was able to jury rig the toilet to stop it from spraying water everywhere, but still called the handy men for help. They took another look at my tank and said that what I did was correct, but since my toilet was so old they were going to have to replace much of the tank anyway.

Honestly, I think most of the handy men know who I am. I tend to be a little paranoid about my apartment since it's my first place and I don't want anything to happen to it. I also tend to ask them questions when they come to make emergency repairs and they don't mind showing me how to fix it either per inanely or until they can either replace the part.

I feel the maintenance people at my old college should have done something similar. I lived in a house on campus my senior year and we managed to have to call the maintenance people several times (once for blowing a fuse because we used two microwaves at the same time). They always kept the door locked to the area were the fuse box was and wouldn't let us see how they fixed something. I'm not sure if they were worried if we'd break something or if we'd hurt ourselves, but it would have been nice if they had explained to us what to do in these situations. Well at least before we caused significant damage. Of coarse we knew to grab a fire extinguisher for fires (or just get the hell out of the building), but simple plumbing and electrical problems were not covered in how to live in a dorm 101. Should they have been? I don't know, college students aren't always known for respecting the place they sleep at night. It still would have been nice to know what had been going on.

Eventually I would like to be able to fix any problem that I might run into in my own home. Right now the internet is a great resource. Watching Youtube videos is very helpful. However I think the best way to learn how to do so,etching is to physically fix it myself. I'm going to keep learning how to fix things (maybe I'll get to my Wii someday). It makes me feel like I've accomplished something.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please leave a comment or share. I love hearing from my readers and hope you find my life's journey as entertaining as I try to. Until next week readers.

Welcome To The Cold

When will it be spring again?

So I survived the Polar Vortex. It was not what I would call fun or ideal. In fact I kind of wish it hasn’t happened at all. My ideal temperature is 60 degrees F. I can’t quiet remember what that is in C, so sorry my non American friends who are reading. I like the fall, not snow. Maybe Queen Elsa decided to grace us with her gift (Did a congressman suggest that she couldn’t cool things down in DC?).  Whatever the case it was cold and my heater started to malfunction. 

Yes that’s right, in the middle of the coldest cold spell to hit the United States in planet only knows how many years, my heater decides die. It was cold; I was unhappy and somewhat panicky. Not having heat wouldn’t have been too bad (I actually prefer it colder in my apartment to warmer), but my mom had to tell me what happens in the winter if pipes freeze. Apparently they burst and spread chaos and destruction. I did not want that to happen. I called maintenance and they fixed it all in the same day (mainly because I wined and started crocodile tears and mentioned that is was lower than 60 degrees F). When I got home my apartment was once again at my favorite settings. There was a note that said the capacitor had needed replacing. It was a good thing they fixed it. 

I know I wasn’t the only one with heat woes. Someone I know at first did not have hot water, and then a pipe burst at his place and turned his street into a solid sheet of ice. So things could have been worse for me. I am grateful everyday that my apartment is still standing. I also now know that pipes bursting in my area is a real threat and that I should be prepared for such things happening. This is why I brought insurance. 

I also found it amusing all the people who claimed that this cold spell proved that global warming is a lie. Honestly some people just have their heads buried in the sand. Global warming is real due to humans and naturally occurring cycles. Maybe if we have a super volcanic eruption within the next ten years we won’t have to worry anymore. Not that global cooling would be a good thing either. Ice ages tend to cause bad tempers (see the little ice age on the History Channel).

Thankfully the cold spell has dissipated and things have gotten (marginally) warmer. I saw Frozen this weekend. I give it two thumbs up. I really enjoyed it and thought the “true love” aspect was perfect. I won’t give it away (spoilers) because I am already really bad about giving things away in TV shows. I highly recommend going to see it or renting / buying it when it comes out on DVD. I really like the song “Let It Go”. The transformation of Queen Elsa is incredible. 

I hope everyone is able to stay warm this week. I will hopefully finally take down my Christmas decorations. Spring can’t come fast enough.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please comment and / or share it. I love hearing back from people and it is always nice to know other people’s opinions.  Until my next post!