I do have to mention one of my DIY triumphs, which occurred yesterday afternoon. Our whole house fan has not been working. I turn on the switch, hear something in the attic, but the louvers don't open and the air doesn't move.
So yesterday afternoon (after a bit of pricing of new motors on the internet -- ouch), I climb up into the attic to try to observe the motor when it is on. This presents its own set of problems, as my assistant is only about three feet tall and the fan switch is up at about six feet. I get her a stepladder and teach her about timer switches. Then, I use the (unfortunately) shorter step ladder to climb into the attic via the boys' room closet. But not before I broke the closet light bulb with my shoulder. Get vaccuum, clean up broken glass, all the while teaching my assistant about not touching broken glass.
Climb into attic (attempt #2), ask assistant to turn on fan switch. She does great, and I observe the motor's shaft turning just fine, but the pulley wheel is not turning. I ask assistant to turn off switch...success yet again. I call friend, who calls himself "Jeff of all trades" and he gives me some great advice, about shear pins, set screws, pulley alignment on belt-driven fans, etc. I enter attic again, successfully remove pulley wheel (after a brief call to Jeff regarding whether I need to purchase a wheel-puller...no, just use a screwdriver and plier-handle to wedge under wheel and bother it off) and determine that the set screw is missing.
My vertically-challenged assistant and I make a quick run to the hardware store, purchase two set screws (in case I drop one of the little buggers into the insulation) an Allen wrench, and a pantry moth trap (unrelated to the fan issue, but a mini-triumph in and of itself as I am able to combine two, unrelated needs into one trip to the hardware store, thus avoiding Ms. Hdog's inevitable question, "why didn't you buy a moth trap while you were there?"). Zoom back home.
Final climb into the attic, align the pulleys, tighten the set screw, and yell to the midget to turn the switch. The motor and fan turn in unison, opening up the louvers, allowing a rush of air into the crucible that is my attic (did I mention it was freakin' hot up there?). Through the louvers, I see the munchkin on her step ladder, looking back up at me. We both smile.
And, for the rest of the night she and I enjoyed the coolness of the air, and the coolness of knowing that "we fixed it!"
Ms.Hdog was impressed, and appreciative. Of course, it was still too hot to touch her, but, whatcha goin' to do?
Hairdog, sharing the wins and the losses with my pals.
Unlike Mrs. HD, when my H does such manly tasks I just present my naked self to him and say "take me I'm yours" to which he says, "Maybe later after I put away my power tools, work on my computer, go for a run, trim my nose hairs etc..."
I think H's card purchasing may have rivaled my own this year. H bought me a card that said something like, "I may be grumpy sometimes, refuse to lighten up, pick fights that go on way too long, watch too much tv etc.... but I sure know how to pick a wife!" The best part was the handwritten part. He just said, "thank you for bringing such love and abundance to my life...until our Anniversary date"
I thought it was sweet and appropriate. Of course, no sex. I thought of initiating but it was like what Corri was saying on Nicky's thread - I don't want us to have a "forced sex" situation because it is our anniversary. I'm just not interested in that.
LFL if you were my daughter and this happen at your house. I would be happy that you had the toys. I might even say "BTW, that funny colored XYZ thing looked kind of rickety, so I went to the S store and bought this blue one. I hope you like it as well or better than the old one.
I would do the same for my married D or son if he was married or had a long term gf.
So maybe your friend needs not to be embarrassed. Her parents might not be shocked at all and might be happy she has a libido.
Re Hairdog I call friend, who calls himself "Jeff of all trades" and he gives me some great advice, about shear pins, set screws, pulley alignment on belt-driven fans, etc.
You have a good friend.
I am able to combine two, unrelated needs into one trip to the hardware store, thus avoiding Ms. Hdog's inevitable question, "why didn't you buy a moth trap while you were there?"). Twins? The wives and you-me?
I see the munchkin on her step ladder, looking back up at me. We both smile. Good helper.
Ms.Hdog was impressed, and appreciative. Of course, it was still too hot to touch her, but, whatcha goin' to do? Twins????????????????????????????????????????????????
WTG on the fan. And yes it is hot in the attic. BTDT, and under the house (craw space) with the spiders, cob webs, sand, sharp things poking me, tight spaces, etc.
(Rough carpenter and odd job person) I insulated houses for half a summer. Talk about itch and hot. I also did some roofing that summer. Asphalt shingles from 6 or 7AM to 11AM, then inside the house in the afternoon, off a couple hours for supper, then back to work from 7 or 8PM to about 9:30.
In the fall when it snowed and the ice/frost was on the roof, I quit that job and went back to mechanicing. What a relief.
The rough carpenter and odd job work paid $0.15 more an hour but I never fell or slid on a roof doing mechanic work.
LFL if you were my daughter and this happen at your house. I would be happy that you had the toys. I might even say "BTW, that funny colored XYZ thing looked kind of rickety, so I went to the S store and bought this blue one. I hope you like it as well or better than the old one.
I think the world would implode the day my own Dad did something like that. LOL. Never in a million years. And let's face it, even with the most sexually open families, having your parents know about your own SL just seems...wrong. I don't want to know about theirs and vice versa. I'm pretty confident of that one. I remember finding The Joy of Sex in my mother's dresser when I was a young teen. Could'nt believe they still had sex! Although it looked like the first printing, very 70's, so maybe it was just gathering dust.
Good for you Lou for being so understanding. Even I would probably die of embarrassment. We just did not talk about "that stuff" at all. When my Mom attempted to teach me about "the birds and the bees", she literally handed me a book and said "read this" and walked out of the room. Never did talk to her about any of it.
LFL I don't want to know about theirs and vice versa. I'm pretty confident of that one I am with you on not wanting to hear any details.
I just see people as people, not parents or son's/daughter's sometimes.
When my Mom attempted to teach me about "the birds and the
I did not do that when the kids were that age. I just let the book lay around till it disappeared.
Now that the D is married I might make a comment once in a blue moon about squeaking the bed springs. That is about it.
If they had a flooded basement, I would not want her to worry about me finding anything or being embarrassed. She and her H are doing almost the exact thing BB and I were doing 30 years ago. No surprise to me.
SIL got the big V and said he had to go back after x ejaculations. It was Thursday, I said " so are you going back Monday for a sperm sample. He said he would have to do something 3X a day. I said sounds like a winner to me.
Nothing said since. What SIL an D do is private.
As I get older, I realise my parents were parents and just people too, so why don't they deserve everything good from life I had at one time. My kids, I feel the same way. I like sex, if they like sex good for them, even grand pop with 13 kids.
ML last night. It had been so long it was really disconnected and kind of uncomfortable. It was like we didn't know what to do. And H kept giving me the passionate pecks, didn't seem to want to really kiss me. I wanted to do something to change the dynamic but I feel like we are baby stepping back from the misery of the past few weeks of H's depression/anger etc... so the time just didn't seem right. Oh well. I guess we'll try again sometime.
We are off to a triathlon at the New Jersey shore with DS14, his two friends who make up his relay team, the baby and DD9. Accomodations were scarce so we had to get two rooms which puts H in with the boys and me with the girls. We will be there all weekend and return home on Monday. We agreed to try to find time for a "conjugal visit" at some point. We can put the kids in a room with a movie or something....
That's the plan. I will be needing some reading material since there's a lot of hanging out associated with these races. We will also visit the beach, the pool and the boardwalk and gorge ourselves with boardwalk pizza. I have been so good with diet/exercise the last week or so I don't want to sabotage myself. I will bring some fruit and stuff with me to help me stay out of trouble.
I took a look at my proofs and picked out a few. They will be ready in time for our Anniversary date. Hope H likes them.
Talk about itch and hot. I also did some roofing that summer. Asphalt shingles from 6 or 7AM to 11AM, then inside the house in the afternoon, off a couple hours for supper, then back to work from 7 or 8PM to about 9:30. 
