A notorious slowdown as of late here on The Franklin Monologues. Too many things pulling me away from my business of complaining about everything.
Two weekends ago the high-tank toilet installation took the entire 48 free hours allotted to me. Leaks, leaks, and more leaks...but come 8:00 PM Sunday I was able to wrestle the connections together and since it's been flowing nicely.
Last weekend took me to screw maintenance -- the need to organize a collection of free nuts, screws, bolts and the occasional washer, something I'ven't done since 1994. I will gain more hours in the future not looking for things, having spent eight of them Sunday organizing them...or so I think.
These things are free. These don't cost money to perform; at least, provided the materials are already paid for. My neighbor who rides the bus with me, the one who I fixed a few leaky sprinkler valves last summer, had a recent toilet problem and was quoted $650 to have a new one installed. $650.
I have to think that I've been able to pay off my mortgage and keep some cash in reserves simply because I've not had to resort to paying such money to others to do things around the housal unit. Indeed, I haven't taken a weekend wine/bed-and-breakfast/mudbath spa extravaganza to the Napa Valley in some time, either, because I'm too busy fashioning leak-free gaskets for the new [already leaking] supply valve on my disc sander.
These are the tradeoffs we make. I am fortunate to have learned early on that self-sufficiency is among the most valuable economic traits one can take on as you minimize the number of on-call visits by professionals to fix things.
Can I install a toilet as efficiently as a plumber?
Hell no.
Yet, I can do it.
The thing is a work of art, something worth having in a housal unit. Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.
Two weekends ago the high-tank toilet installation took the entire 48 free hours allotted to me. Leaks, leaks, and more leaks...but come 8:00 PM Sunday I was able to wrestle the connections together and since it's been flowing nicely.
Last weekend took me to screw maintenance -- the need to organize a collection of free nuts, screws, bolts and the occasional washer, something I'ven't done since 1994. I will gain more hours in the future not looking for things, having spent eight of them Sunday organizing them...or so I think.
These things are free. These don't cost money to perform; at least, provided the materials are already paid for. My neighbor who rides the bus with me, the one who I fixed a few leaky sprinkler valves last summer, had a recent toilet problem and was quoted $650 to have a new one installed. $650.
I have to think that I've been able to pay off my mortgage and keep some cash in reserves simply because I've not had to resort to paying such money to others to do things around the housal unit. Indeed, I haven't taken a weekend wine/bed-and-breakfast/mudbath spa extravaganza to the Napa Valley in some time, either, because I'm too busy fashioning leak-free gaskets for the new [already leaking] supply valve on my disc sander.
These are the tradeoffs we make. I am fortunate to have learned early on that self-sufficiency is among the most valuable economic traits one can take on as you minimize the number of on-call visits by professionals to fix things.
Can I install a toilet as efficiently as a plumber?
Hell no.
Yet, I can do it.
The thing is a work of art, something worth having in a housal unit. Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.
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