do it yourself.

Another day, another post.

This time, however, I’m going to talk about something a little more tangible: D-I-Y.

That’s right, folks: do-it-yourself. Perhaps one of the more intimidating aspects of being an adult, do-it-yourself projects have had me cowering for years. Granted, I have the genetic odds that I’ll be good at D-I-Y: both of my parents are able to keep our house ship-shape and tidy, only occasionally having to call in a professional for something big (e.g. our air conditioner breaking, or installing a set of ventless logs in the fireplace). For the most part, though, the ‘rents have set the example of self-sufficiency, especially when it comes to household projects.

Want to know the surprising thing? I can conquer MANY of these D-I-Y projects. There is some trial and error, and I’ll often find myself calling my parents FIRST to try to figure out what the heck to do to fix something, or eventually calling in professionals (i.e. I still don’t know how to change a tire; thank God for AAA).

But since I moved to Florida, I’ve handled some D-I-Y nicely, which adds some proper grown-up feeling to my life.

—Toilet: stopped running. My toilet has been running a lot recently (no, this will NOT turn into a joke about catching it), and as much as I jiggled the handle, it wouldn’t stop. Not only is that sound annoying, but it also wastes a LOT of water. So what did I do? I opened the toilet tank, grabbed a screwdriver, and tightened some of the screws that balance out the float ball in the tank. (Please note: I don’t know the proper terms for any of this.) And you know what? My toilet isn’t running anymore.

—Shower drain: unclogged. (Thanks, Drain-O.)

—Wall shelves: installed. WITHOUT A LEVEL. (One of them actually won’t hang right on the wall, but it’s not because it’s crooked, it’s because I don’t have the correct size Phillips-head screwdriver to get the screw in the wall far enough. But it doesn’t bother me enough to get another screwdriver, or to just buy a new shelf…)

—Knobs on the kitchen cabinets and doors: tightened. (This is something fun to do while you’re waiting for your food to microwave: go around and see what knobs are loose, grab a screwdriver, and fix ‘em.)

So basically, I foresee myself following in the footsteps of my mother and father, puttering around the house with a drill and a hammer, installing shelf systems, re-finishing wardrobes, and cleaning out the gutters. (just kidding about that last one: I’m afraid of heights.) It’s a nice sense of satisfaction, to know that I can take care of business when an emergency arises, but it’s also valuable to know the projects I can’t conquer so I know when to call in the professionals (I really do need to learn how to change a tire, though).

Got a running toilet or a picture that needs hanging? You know who to call.