A Home Repair Theory
The number of things in your house that require immediate attention and repair is directly proportional to the number of guests you’re expecting for Thanksgiving dinner.
About Dave Thomer
Born and raised in Philadelphia. Studied philosophy at Fordham University in the Bronx, where I made many great friends and met my wonderful wife. We moved back to Philadelphia, where I studied philosophy some more and became a teacher. Online and off, I'm looking for ways that we can be better citizens and build stronger communities.
November 19, 2005 @ 12:38 pm
Saturday, November 19th 2005 at 2:07 pm |
One of the best features of my home was, at the time we bought it, an absolute lack of any natural gas hookups. This is fairly significant because the natural gas provider in this area is notorious for throwing stuff like 33% rate increases at the public service commission every few months, to the point that really impoverished families with tiny houses are getting $200-300 heating bills for a mild winter, and it’s starting to look like we’re headed into what may be a colder one than anybody expected. Anyway, on that basis, the lack of gas service in the new place was particularly attractive. Everything’s electric, and we’ve never even once crossed the $200 barrier there. However, somewhat worryingly as we head into the first official cold – and I mean cold – snap of the season here, the electricity seems to be having trouble maintaining a state that we know as, well, “on.”
My house is also equipped with an old-fashioned wood burning stove, and as much as I’ve resisted using it due to the sheer amount of mess and maintenance that would entail, it’s starting to look like a real option as I wake up nearly every morning freezing cold with no power…
Saturday, November 19th 2005 at 2:46 pm |
…the point (I know I had one somewhere!) being that even someone who has no company can be beleaguered with this stuff all the same. 🙂
Saturday, November 19th 2005 at 4:51 pm |
I’d be more concerned with setting a bunch of wood on fire every night and then going to sleep.
We don’t have anything major like that. Just phones not working, cabinets doors falling off, lamps dying, toilets leaking . . . Pattie thinks there was some kind of appliance suicide pact.
Sunday, November 27th 2005 at 10:00 pm |
God alone knows what appliance and or piece of furniture will decide to meet its maker right before Christmas.
Monday, November 28th 2005 at 12:52 am |
Hmm. Given the expected presence of tree lights and candles, maybe getting some redundant smoke detectors would be a good idea.
With luck, we can get some of these things fixed so that they’ll re-break for Christmas.