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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 15 of 15. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by tabitha on November 16, 2003, at 20:16:22
The home improvement is going well today.
I took apart my delightful funky old porch light fixture, gave the metal part a fresh coat of glossy black rust-o-leum, scraped the glass part clean with a razor, and got new wiring to replace the ancient fabric-insulated stuff. I was about to buy a $2.94 package of wire, and the guy at the store instead gave me a couple of lengths for free.
I replaced the broken old clasps on my bathroom cabinets with magnetic ones. The new magnets were too strong, so I discovered that by covering the metal striker plates with masking tape, the strength is reduced to the perfect level. Dang if I didn't feel clever.
It rained yesterday, and the new flood prevention dam I had a guy build next to the garage seems to work OK.
Soon this old place will be ship-shape.
Posted by Dinah on November 16, 2003, at 21:52:43
In reply to I'm the Goddess of Home Maintenance, posted by tabitha on November 16, 2003, at 20:16:22
A sabbatical well spent.
Posted by Destroyo on November 16, 2003, at 22:05:39
In reply to I'm the Goddess of Home Maintenance, posted by tabitha on November 16, 2003, at 20:16:22
Come work your magic on my place, will you? I'll tap a keg o' boiling tar, and feed you all the "hog anus" hot dogs you can eat. Gotta warn ya though, my "depressed bachelor" housekeeping makes The Augean Stables look like a Martha Stewart magazine layout.
Posted by tabitha on November 16, 2003, at 23:11:54
In reply to Re: I'm the Goddess of Home Maintenance, posted by Destroyo on November 16, 2003, at 22:05:39
Housekeeping.. well that's another matter entirely. It's much more fun to fix stuff than to maintain order and cleanliness.
Posted by Destroyo on November 16, 2003, at 23:33:11
In reply to I'm the Goddess of Home Maintenance, posted by tabitha on November 16, 2003, at 20:16:22
Never in a million years would I be so insensitive as to sexually stereotype, but having said that, it's true; guys can ignore almost any level of sloth and filth, when they are distracted by melancholy. If a woman is shocked by the level of indifference to nominal standards of housekeeping on the part of depressed male brothers, friends, or lovers, I can only speculate that males are constitutionally more indifferent to filth than women; the anecdotal evidence is clear. We don't want to be slobs, but in our evoloutionary defined heirachy of needs, it's some how less important.
Posted by Sabina on November 17, 2003, at 0:04:48
In reply to I'm the Goddess of Home Maintenance, posted by tabitha on November 16, 2003, at 20:16:22
as always, i bow in absolute awe to your ability to be productive and organized. you've certainly been an inspiration to me. i managed to do a good job today tackling the garage and now i'm creme crackered.
i spent my collapsitude this evening in making a list: long term projects, short term projects, and items to sell or toss/donate.
i know i could never be a goddess, but perhaps if i continue to be a good worker i could qualify to be one of the items you hold in one of your many hands?
Posted by tabitha on November 17, 2003, at 1:09:13
In reply to Re: Durga Domesticus » tabitha, posted by Sabina on November 17, 2003, at 0:04:48
you cleaned the garage? Wow. That would take me a month.
Posted by tabitha on November 17, 2003, at 1:20:23
In reply to Re: I'm the Goddess of Home Maintenance, posted by Destroyo on November 16, 2003, at 23:33:11
Posted by jay on November 17, 2003, at 3:03:39
In reply to I'm the Goddess of Home Maintenance, posted by tabitha on November 16, 2003, at 20:16:22
is here:
http://www.anythingicando.com/I have been in love with Mag for soooo long...nothing like a gal who knows how to give good torque (as in changing a tire...ahem..) :-)
So, bring on the stories, Tabitha, as I'd love to hear more about you using power-tools!
Jay
Posted by Sabina on November 17, 2003, at 3:10:05
In reply to Re: I'm not worthy of your envy » Sabina, posted by tabitha on November 17, 2003, at 1:09:13
...and i'm working on a grid so's i can move about freely and clear proper like when i go in tomorrow. i'd just torch the stuff where it sits, but it's attached to the house, don'cha know.
no, really. my problem is that i get too hung up on minutiae. i need to learn how to play it fast and loose. an example of my style: i found a box of ceramic glazes and suddenly i'm consumed with a desire to paint tiles. oh, a new backsplash for the kitchen would be incredible! i'll bet the community college would fire them for me. then i can take a class at home depot about how to install the tiles myself!
that's ridiculous, dear...you're supposed to be cleaning today, *not* painting. oh...uh, okay. so i sit there on the cement with the huge box of glazes for the next 45 minutes *rediscovering* what colors i've got and mentally planning what colors i want to buy for my next project under the pretense of "organizing" by throwing away the old and/or empty pots. when i was a kid i would have been in so much trouble for getting distracted; but i'm an adult on topamax and that's a good enough reason for my inner disciplinarian.
all kidding aside, you really have been an inspiration to me. even before your sabbatical, when you were talking about organizing books one day, i remember thinking, lordy, i'm lucky to have matching shoes on half the time. i think i'm finally feeling more motivated than i have been in well over a year now. it's been terrible, because i *knew* i wasn't lazy but i still found myself just throwing things into closets and shutting the doors. what's worse, i would agonize over doing it. when i would have trouble sleeping at night, i would think about my cluttered closets and how unlike me it was to do that and how ashamed it made me feel and oh, the bad feng shui going on up in my abode! still, i just was-not-able-to-do-anything-about-it. of course, a lot of the problem stemmed from dealing with the pain from fibromyalgia, but my flare-ups are being managed much better now through proper rest and physical therapy. now, suddemly, i feel like my goals for the house may be attainable...but it's going to be a lot of work!
Posted by fallsfall on November 17, 2003, at 7:26:39
In reply to Re: I'm the Goddess of Home Maintenance, posted by Destroyo on November 16, 2003, at 23:33:11
Depression makes my house dirty - filthy in fact. I don't like it, it makes me feel guilty. But not enough to make me clean.
Painting the backsplash? I couldn't get enough grease off the old tiles to get them off the wall.
Posted by tabitha on November 17, 2003, at 11:32:20
In reply to Tabitha...your competition....... » tabitha, posted by jay on November 17, 2003, at 3:03:39
Now did I mention power tools? Interesting looking book-- looks like we're on the same wavelength. After paying some guy an absurd amount of money to do a little carpentry, only to get sloppy results, I asked myself that very question.. how hard can it be? Meanwhile I had another guy doing concrete and tile work. This guy had no professional construction background yet applied intelligence and care to each problem. He did the best work I've seen. It was an inspiration.
Posted by tabitha on November 17, 2003, at 11:45:08
In reply to Re: i cut a moderate swath, is all » tabitha, posted by Sabina on November 17, 2003, at 3:10:05
The glaze experience-- yup, sounds familiar. I had a terrible time sorting my art & craft supplies. Kept running into new possibilities, as well as all the half-finished projects. It ended up taking 2 weeks just to organize one shelving unit thingy full of stuff. I think organizing is extra-difficult for creative types. Your brain is just so good at thinking up new uses for stuff. I've had to just tell myself that when the time comes, if I really want to do that project, I'd probably want new stuff to do it with anyway.
It's a lifetime process, decluttering. The good part is I've reduced my intake. Having no income shocked me into cutting out most of the recreational shopping. I cut impulse purchases by forcing myself to think it over for a day before buying it. If it isn't on the list, it doesn't go in the cart today.
Posted by Sabina on November 17, 2003, at 19:31:58
In reply to Re: i cut a moderate swath, is all » Sabina, posted by tabitha on November 17, 2003, at 11:45:08
Posted by noa on November 21, 2003, at 19:53:40
In reply to I'm the Goddess of Home Maintenance, posted by tabitha on November 16, 2003, at 20:16:22
I think your next career endeavor should be your own home maintenance tv show--from a woman's POV! You're a great role model.
This is the end of the thread.
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