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Dads, do it yourself, Father's Day, Happy Father's Day, I'm not taking one more shower with the hose, Moms, when is the bathroom going to be finished
My dad could fix anything. He built four houses by himself. Watching him create buildings with his own two hands gave me a false sense of confidence that I could build and fix things, too! Hence, the wires that have dangled above our bathroom mirror since the day I decided eight years ago that the old light fixture was hideous.
Now, as I blindly feel my way around my face with a wand of Maybelline Great Lash Mascara, I have to ask myself, “Was that light fixture really that hideous?”
I have dedicated this “Father’s Day” story to my dad and to all of the “do it yourself-ers” in the world, but it really should be dedicated to the people who love them, the people who live without water, without walls, without light . . . .
Happy Father’s Day!
Postscript: We went to Home Depot yesterday for some grout to repair two tiles in our kitchen; walked out with an estimate for new countertops (and no grout). Here we go again . . . .
This was my Dad, all the way until he married my step-mom she eventually whipped him out of these weird behaviors. We once had a half built two seater airplane in the basement (pre step-mom).
I miss my Dad, he passed 10 months after my step-mom in Oct 2010. I loved this it was a great reminder.
Do it yourself airplane?!! Dads, ya gotta love ’em!
That was really cute. You must have had a lot of fun doing this. The chain raections reminded me of a few years back when we hired a friend of a friend to replace our bathtub. Here’s a brief list of chain reactions in point form
-old tub torn out and removed
-big big hole in the wall
-tub put in crooked
-tub surround put around tub while still crooked
-guy suggests tearing out wall in son’s room to fix problem and feels insulted at our assessment of his work
-instead of going through son’s closet,uses crow bar and tears tub up and plops down again leaving tub surround where it is because it is now adhesived to wall.
-tub surround 2 inches off in one corner requiring three inches of cocking
-guy finally goes home, paid in full
-notice drainpipe bulging through kitchen ceiling
-redo entire kitchen
-redo entire mainfloor.
-put hammer away for awhile until we are ready to tackle the tub again
I would have managed a new set of cookware, dishes, and tea towels out of that tub.
Not to brag, but I managed new flooring on the main floor.
Definitely better than tea towels.
This was just awesome! It’s just like the book about the mouse and the cookie, one of my favorites. You could publish this, it’s so right on the money.
Thanks! I thought about including a cameo of the mouse, but I was worried about copyright infringement.
right…copyright. Well, i think that would be a great Barnes and Noble book, you know, like the kind they sell at the counter. Just adorable! And so relatable!
Or, how about at Home Depot with a little hammer attached – I could be rich and go to Paris and hire someone to diet and exercise for me!!!! :-)
Brilliant! It could be as popular as it’s namesake, or more!
Sounds like a plan… :)
Oh, that is a brilliant idea!
Red.
This was wonderful. Brought up some good memories of my dad as well. He was always in the process of ‘fixing’ something or building something. great tribute!
I have inherited my father’s do it yourselfness, but unfortunately not his skill. I always get the thing I’m fixing disassembled, then discover I can’t (literally)do what needs to be done without professional help.
It eventually gets done when we sell the house as part of the buyer’s contigencies.
Very fun. It reminded me that when I was a teen my father tore out a 3-foot section of ceiling in the family room. The purpose was to repair a small water leak. It took eight years before the ceiling was closed back up. The project kept morphing. Great video!
My ability to “morph” an idea or project is the number one reason I don’t have a Costco membership. One time I went into Costco looking for some cereal and walked out with a bedroom set (it was a great deal). Needless to say, paint, rugs, bedding, artwork were involved . . . come to think of it, we just bought curtain rods last week for that room (it’s been just about 8 years since I bought the set and gave up my Costco card).
Yes, definitely can identify. Although my dad is no longer here, he could have built anything out of string and tin foil. We are losing that craftiness.
My dad built four houses all by himself and he wasn’t a builder. He also wrote the first computer programs for the Saturn booster rockets for the Apollo missions. He was an amazing guy and so low key. I wonder what the next generation will say about us?
Best fathers day tribute ever! I loved not only the concept and creation and all the thought and love that went into it, but especially your narration – you really have a great talking voice.
Oh and I second Patrices comment: You really could publish this! :)
When I first heard my voice, I thought “Wow, even my voice is getting old.” Thanks for the nice compliments!
You’re welcome. You don’t sound old at all! Obviously I don’t have that before / after comparison to draw from, but still you don’t sound old. Your voice is very soothing and sweet. :)
Perfect.
Thanks!
When we heard Dad working downstairs in his workshop, I’d look at older siblings for reassurance, but only found breath holding. He worked away from home and seemed to spend spare time dreaming up inventions to try at home. We all agreed he had an abundance of practicality, but the aesthetics part of his talent didn’t kick in! Mother, bless her heart, used his “gifts” with abandon! :D
Oops – I wanted to congratulate you on the presentation, WW. You did an excellent job! And good luck on your fitness program. I went to the gym for about 25 years and now walk daily. I miss the overall results of weight training, but I grew soooo bored. I may go back in time.
My dad once built a Superslide on a hill near our home. He was always thinking of clever ways to make money. Once he had us selling pinecones in our neighborhood which wasn’t a big hit in a neighborhood full if pine trees. Of course now you’ll find them by the stylish bag in Pottery Barn.
And thank you. We’re finding signing up for a triathlon to be very motivating.
In retirement, Dad “graduated” to rock cutting and polishing. He built his own saw (it ran for days to finally cut the rock) and his own polishing tub – full of things like rice. The droning of the sawing and the tub turning nearly drove mom crazy. We were fascinated by what we’d find in the center of rock and how beautiful they were after a polish. But then, Dad decided to make us jewellery…ahem. The aesthetics were still missing!
Right. I had a coupon for an extra 30% off at Kohl’s the other weekend. Asked the 16 year old son if he needed anything. ‘Maybe some shoes”. Sure, he never asks for much, off we went. While there, I asked what about the tired comforter on his bed, he picked out a new one ( in 10 minutes, after I made him look at them all) (also picked the only pair of shoes he tried on). Then realized the green carpet, blue walls, and primary-colored ceiling fan he picked when he was 4 would not do. So saving $20 on shoes turned into new floor, paint, curtains,sheets, comforter, fan, and, yes, artwork. He picked Van Gogh, to my surprise. What a savings the coupon was! But it looks great. Sigh. And he learned to paint and lay laminate floors. Priceless.
Wow, maybe he can come visit us (we need some new carpets). Funny how 30% off at Kohl’s can end up costing the same as airfare to Amsterdam to visit the Van Gogh museum.
Awww, very touching tribute to your dad, Julie… And I love your tags ;) xx
Thanks Lady E. Fortunately, I wasn’t the one showering with the hose (the story is based on someone else’s dad), but I did once spend a summer sleeping in the backseat of a car (at a campground – so campground showers every day at age 15 when I couldn’t live without feathering my bangs) while my dad built a house. If my dad had any idea how much trouble I got into at that campground, he might have considered splurging on some walls.
Oh dear … ;) x
Such a gentle and loving tribute to your dad. Thanks for sharing.
I’m glad it seems gentle and loving, I was starting to think it might have been more appropriate for Mother’s Day. :-)
OMG — that’s my life right now! If my man says, “While we’re at it….” one more time, I’m running out of the house and joining a travelling band of Hippies.
Lovely tribute to your Dad. Thanks for brightening my day.
I laughed out loud thinking about you in a muti-colored bus covered in peace signs. :-) Although, that conjures up an image of the Partridge Family which doesn’t seem like such a stretch for your family. In any case, I hope he doesn’t utter the words, “While we are at it . . .,” one more time.
This is so sweet and clever, and when you got to the end, it made my eyes tear up. What a lovely tribute!
Thanks Naomi!
Julie, this is so lovely! I thought it was one of those videos that go viral on the webz until I saw your picture on the wall. Boy, your dad was so young – I’m sorry for your loss. What a great tribute.
He was hit by a car at age 57! On a completely different note have you watched The Weight of the Nation? I found it so motivating, I posted a link to the four one hour long episodes here: http://worrywarts-guide-to-weight-sex-and-marriage.com/2012/05/24/weight-of-the-nation/ It will definitely get the notion of eating “whatever the hell you want” out of your head (at least while you are watching it).
I saw the ads for it, but I didn’t get to watch it. Did the series just start or is it over?
I THINK the series is over – we’re watching it on our computer via the link I posted (click on the photo).
Daddy could fix anything, and often did, but Momma was the project starter. I have it as well. When I came back to SC, I was set to replace carpet and out. I ended up ripping out all the carpet, only replacing it in the bedrooms, laying laminate in the great room, painting the entire house, new closet hardware, new baseboards around the bar and kitchen units, new shower heads, medicine cabinet and molding for the master bath, a new back door, keyless entry,…and a few odds and ends…like a patio, well, really, two.
My ten-day trip lasted seven weeks, and I decided not to sell the house. Then, of course, that meant building furniture.
So, there you have it.
Great Father’s Day tribute, Julie.
Red.
What kind of furniture did you build? We’re getting new carpets next week – you know what that means!!!
For this house, I built units for the bath, closets and study and my bed. I need to build either a dresser or another closet unit…since I despise dressers in the bedroom.
Poppa built my dining room table, since it was the next thing on my list.
I am probably going to redo the children’s room (again) this year. I bought them bunk beds and think they are completely vile. I want to build them desk/entertainment center with a bunk above. This solves the problem of who gets the top bunk…they both do.
Good luck with the new paint, furniture and art! Linen shopping is the best!
Red.
Ah my dad died last year and he wasn’t a hammer guy, more of a story teller while smoking the pipe … so i kept one to sit on my shelf :-)
I’m sorry about your dad. I’m not sure if you can take comfort in knowing that two decades after my father died, it still feels like only yesterday he was with us. It’s true what they say about living on in the hearts of others.
ah thanks for that … enjoyed your blog
My goodness, I leave for a while and I come back and find you doing beautiful, creative new things with your site. This tribute is lovely. I lost my dad two years ago today and I miss him terribly. This made a sad day much nicer.
I meant to reply to this earlier – sorry you were having a sad day.
Oh wow, Julie. (Julie! Your name is Julie!) That was amazing. I liked hearing your voice too, by the way. I especially loved the to-do list that grew and grew as the story went on. And I love the way it emulated the If You Give… books that I read to my kids at night.
My dad is definitely this kind of dad. So much so that he ended up buying an Ace Hardware store when I was in 3rd grade, much to my chagrin.
Father’s Day must still be really hard for you. This was a lovely tribute to your dad.
Oddly enough Father’s Day isn’t hard; mostly because the focus is on Tony. But I do think of my dad everyday and just last night when I was repairing the gouges our dog made in the door (when our dog locked us out), I was feeling grateful to my dad that I knew my way around a hardware store. The claw marks (I loved how our fierce dog licked the locksmith’s hand as he broke into the house) are barely visible now (and completely gone when one isn’t wearing one’s glasses).
Very sweet — the dog and the knowing your way around a hardware store parts. My dad actually owned a hardware store, where I ended up working in junior high. I did not appreciate knowing my way around that store.
I feel your pain working in your dad’s store. Imagine 17 year old worrtwart blow drying her hair into Farrah Fawcet perfection (except I wasn’t blonde and I cut my own hair) and putting on just the right amount of too much makeup at 5:00 a.m (!) all summer long (!) just in case a teenage boy might catch a glimpse of me somewhere between my dad’s apartment and the building site in the middle of nowhere where I would spend every day of summer staining trim and painting walls and nailing siding and organizing piles of junk. Looking back on it, with the exception of blow drying my hair and putting on makeup, that summer pretty much prepared me for motherhood.
Hilarious!
My dad is a carpenter, so I have always known my house to be filled with DIY projects, too. Thank goodness my Hubs has picked up the building spirit because I would rather stay on the glue-committee. I fix the small things, he fixes the big, heavy, and pointy things. It’s a pretty good system!
You’re one of the handiest blogging moms I know!
The one thing that I miss about my father is that he could fix or build anything. I suspect if he was still around my front porch would be fixed by now ;)
I know – why are we as a generation so intimidated by these projects (we even have unlimited resources on TV and the Web)?We are about to tackle a ton of DIY projects as we prepare to put our house on the market. I think the keys to success might be patience, attention to detail, and perseverance (much like losing weight). We’ll see.
I know! We have talked about putting the house on the market but the list of things to do seems endless. I wonder what has changed?
I like your perspective and will have to remember it when we are neck deep in renos :)
Julie, This is so wonderful….a fun , funny, loving tribute to your dad. He would love this! I remember fun times with him and the family.
If I were to do a similar tribute to my dad, it would be called,” If you Give your dad a monkey wrench”. He was always using that thing, and if he didn’t have and needed it in a hurry, you would hear him call, “Sport, (Cath, or Piko), get me that monkey wrench”.
This explains why Sport is always asking where the damn monkey wrench is! Actually, Sport never swears or uses a monkey wrench, but he had a good laugh when he read your comment.
I love trying to be handy and I always dream of building a home someday, but I definitely stay away from anything electrical. Shocking, huh?
I love this – it is funny and touching and so full of love for your dad. You are such a talented woman.
I watched my dad “try” to fix things and realized early on that I am NOT a do-it-yourselfer. (Or maybe I just don’t want to be.) My tools are a phone book and a phone! Great post.
What a fun story! You did a great job!
My dad was NOT a handyman…just not in his genes, I guess, although he had other great talents. But we’ve had a few of those guys in the family, and you’re right, one thing leads to another! ~ Sheila