Home repairs

Why is it that the minute you don't have a man around the house anymore, repairs crop up like weeds? Not that my husband was ever into repairs, but he was much better at justifying the cost of the repair. He loved to hire people to take care of things for us.

I, on the other hand, am a cheapskate. I hate to pay for things I can do myself. My parents are the same way. This is why you can find my father in his 70's and I out in the yard, fixing the gate and putting the chain on. I tried for a week to figure out how I was going to fix my main sprinkler valve myself until the cost/benefit analysis of how much water is leaking compared to the cost of having someone fix it drove me to call a professional. A cheap professional, mind you.

I've been fixing flooring and tacking things on the wall. I replaced the battery in the smoke detector which my husband was going to get around to for months. I put handles on the closet, a project my husband put off for about two years.

I'm a regular handywoman.

The amazing thing about women is that we can spend the morning using a hammer and wrench, repairing the sprinklers and putting up trim. And in the afternoon, we can do our hair, paint our nails, and be pretty. Along the way, we can play with the kids, make good food, and read a couple of fun books. By evening, we can be settled in with a cheesy romance novel and a cup of tea.

Being a woman is a pretty cool experience. I think I'll stick with it.