October 7, 2011

Dating and Home Improvements

Having spent the better part of 17 years living alone, I have learned how to do many home improvements.  I can fix my garbage disposal, broken toilets and clogged drains. I can take things apart and clean or fix them; my poor over-worked vacuum cleaner, for example.  I have fixed my own windshield wiper that was flopping around uselessly in the rain and I am the self-proclaimed queen of caulk. (heh, heh, heh)   I have an awesome collection of tools and I am not afraid to use them. I have screwdriver and ratchet sets, a screen installing tool, my own toolbox (and it’s not even pink) and my personal favorite: a cordless drill.  I am woman, hear me drill!
Obviously there are larger home improvements that I am not capable of doing due to either a lack of knowledge or an unhealthy fear of electrical shock and/or fire.  In these cases, I either borrow my best friend’s husband or I hire someone (this being my least favorite option).  

It has been pointed out to me more than once that perhaps my independent “I-can-do-it-myself” attitude is preventing me from finding a guy.  It’s a good question. Guys do love a damsel in distress. Maybe if I were to cry helplessly over my clogged vacuum, my prince will show up on his trusty steed to aid me in my time of despair.
I mean, how many potential dates have I bypassed by doing the home improvements myself? Is it possible that the stars had aligned to have the perfect guy show up at my door to fix my broken toilet or clogged drain and I spit in the face of destiny by doing the repairs myself? Have I determined my own fate by not taking my vacuum cleaner to the sexy vacuum cleaner repair guy?  Yes! I have saved myself thousands of dollars over the years but, maybe I should have spent the money and met a man.  Perhaps finding love is more expensive than I thought?

Over the years I have dated the occasional handy man.  It may not have been their day job but they were handy nonetheless.  Personally, I have found this to be incredibly convenient.  It seems like a fair trade to me. I get things done around the house and he gets home cooked meals, amusing conversation and other fun trades.  I got a new kitchen faucet installed by one guy I dated before he screwed up and I had to kick him to the curb.  Another guy remodeled my powder room during our short relationship.  That situation got a little sticky in the end because I knew he wasn’t for me but had to keep him around to let him finish the job.  Don’t judge me. I cannot replace a toilet.
One day, a few months ago, an attractive man shows up at my door (I friggin love it when they come to me) to see if anyone in my neighborhood needed any work done.  He was filthy dirty from working all day (at least, I hope so) but through all of the dirt, he had really pretty eyes.  As nicknames are my thing, we named him Dirty Doug.  Dirty Doug was clearly interested and invited me to a music event he was attending that night. We exchanged numbers and made a plan. As it turns out, I was unable to make the event that night; (even though I really wanted to see if Doug’s dirt actually washed off) so I phoned him to let him know I wouldn’t be there.  During that short conversation, Dirty Doug informs me that he is in the process of a messy divorce from a woman he was married to for 20 years and that she had drug and gambling problems, cheated on him, took all of his money, blah, blah, blah.  Needless to say, I couldn’t get off the phone fast enough. So, not only will I never know whether Dirty Doug cleans up or not, I saw my list of home improvements getting longer with no end in sight.  It was all very disappointing.

So the question is: do I embrace my defiant independence and continue to do my own work? Or do I stock up on tissues, bone up on my acting skills, and play the damsel in distress, thus taking out a second mortgage to pay for the repairs until I find someone with which to “negotiate”?  Maybe a little bit of both. 

In the meantime, I have a pretty serious leak under my kitchen sink.  Anyone know of a hot, single plumber?

4 comments:

  1. My plumber is hot, but I don't think he's single.

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  2. the main question Gina is r u a good cook also.I cant seem too make an egg without getting the shells involved ,cant stand crunchy morning breakfast but got to do what I got too do. Us men that cant cook (unless it is king of the microwave) because we r always in such a hurry r suckers for a good homecooked meal.My daughter was my guinee pig for a while when I was experimenting on morning pancakes for some strange reason it got burnt on the outside and was raw on the inside ,Amber my daughter got wise too this and started sleeping in ,I even tried adding apples and oranges in my pancakes but she wouldnt go for it ,she said ewww dad raw pancakes and oranges sticking out ,see what I got too deal with.You can melt a man with good cooking it is a way too his heart by filling his tummy.Thought I would share that with ya but as you think on it .It is true. (and please more Vern stories)lol.I look forward too reading your post keep it up Gina I know you are poking at the whole scene ,but by the same token give it a fair chance cause you never know what may be there for you.

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  3. Kudos to good old-fashioned bartering!

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