Home Improvements

Master craftsman, def: one who makes household repairs as a hobby. Identifying characteristics include valuing thrift and/or uniqueness over function and municipal code compliance.

This week I've stayed home nearly every night because the electrician was working on the house. I read or knitted or spun and went to bed on time. Hubby has been away teaching classes and running errands. Being home with just the cats and the occasional noises the electrician made was very quiet punctuated with a few troubling discoveries. Friday was the electrician's evening off and mine as well. Dinner with a good friend was a welcome treat.

Today I braced myself for the daily discovery of our master craftsman's handiwork. The master craftsman probably owned our house in the late 70s and early 80s. Home improvement projects must have occupied all of his free time. For three days, the electrician would find wires that had unexpected relationships or, more dramatic, were charred. The lighting in the backyard appears to be attached to the kitchen light fixture via the dining room light fixture. The electrician had been taking everything in stride -- he originally was going to spend 20 minutes on Monday to install a light fixture--and today he brought a friend to help.

They finally finished the wiring at 5 this evening, but not before a few more exciting discoveries and someone falling through the ceiling. Enter sheet rock dude. The sheet rock dude will be finishing sometime tomorrow.

So far, we're getting some good things out of this: 1)We finally have a fan with a light in the bathroom. Hey, when an expert is at the house, why not buy in bulk? 2) The wiring is updated -- no more charred wires. 3) While sheet rock dude is here, he is going to replace an extra wall of sheet rock for us. The old one had all of the trademarks of our master craftsman.

To my way of thinking, replacing sheet rock shouldn't involve too much discovery. Denial is firmly in place. All will go well. There will be bluebirds, rainbows, and silver sprinkles.