Tuesday, July 7, 2009

TTMOT, Totally Ticks me off Tuesday, Home Improvements


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We have a new realtor listing our house, cause Mr. Miata didn't do the trick. She asked that I replace a few light fixtures, finish the trim in the basement, paint a couple rooms, do back flips and sell myself in order to get this house off the market.

I obliged. I can always use an extra buck (or two, cause I'm good).

I head over to Menard's. Thinking I can just pick up new light fixtures, not a big deal. *HA*

Size matters people.

Just sayin.

I head home, dig through the dirty garage and loads of STBE's crap. Find the tape measure. Made a list with measurements to go back to Menard's again.

I stand in the damn aisle not knowing what the hell I am doing. Feeling pretty stupid and low. I dial a friend, get his opinion. Find the lights I like and move on to other items.

(All other items have to be RETURNED to Menard's because they aren't the RIGHT ONES...grrr)

So I get the lights home, pull up my chair ladder to start taking down the light in the kitchen. I had no clue. *ding ding* I unscrew, remove and then I am stuck with a light fixture hanging from the ceiling. I didn't know I was going to have to TOUCH electrical wires to undo this damn light. WTF.

Again, I'm feeling really stupid. *rolls eyes*

It was just then that Buggy came home and I roped her dad into telling me how to unhook the light from the ceiling without electrocuting myself. *sigh*

Anyway. Long story short.

I still have no lights up. It totally ticks me off that I don't know how to do this myself. It totally ticks me off that I'm going to have to get SOMEONE to help me with it. It totally ticks me off that *I* am the one doing improvements to sell the house when STBE won't.

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More Madness from Stacie's Madness at 10:02 AM
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21 Sharing the Madness:

  1. We really need new lighting in our house. The cheap crap stand lamps we dragged from a college efficiency apartment 15 years ago through 4 more moves are inadequate for the living room & have been for the 9 years we have lived here. I cannot tackle the electric work. DH can but never has time & pitches a dozen fits when I suggest paying someone for it because 'he can do it damnit!' It's killing me I can't just do this thing.
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  2. I can't do that crap either. Electrical work is one area I actually don't want to tangle with anyhow.
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  3. Girl, remind me to tell you about the time I decided to change out the faucet in my kitchen. WITHOUT TURNING THE WATER OFF! I had a literal gyser where my sink ought to have been.

    Home improvement sucks - but it can be empowering! Too bad one of those hotties from HGTV can't just come to your rescue like Superman.
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  4. There's good stuff on DIYS about how to make these kinds of repairs. I'm wary about doing electrical work, except for the simple stuff. Other than that, I call a licensed electrician.
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  5. Oh, lady, I'm so sorry! We recently did an absurd amount of switching out lights and ceiling fans and I can honestly say I had NO CLUE how to do any of it. I just held the ladder.
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  6. Electricity scares me. I don't think I would WANT to do the lights myself. Other projects, fine... but not when I may get zapped. ;o)
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  7. I have no clue. I just get my dad to do it.

    "Hey dad, you and mum want to come over for dinner?"
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  8. I married an electrician. Not that it helps you any. LOL But all my friends get jealous. When I want something done around the house I just have to say, "hey, can you drop an outlet in this wall and put it right here?" And he does. Of course I still have to ask fifty gazillion times.
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  9. We attended a freebie clinic at Home Depot a year or two ago, and they showed us how to do it... but there is no way I could do it without someone walking me through it again while I was doing it. It's those scary wires, I would electrocute myself! LOL
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  10. Oh No! I hate that helpless feeling. I have been so furious and frustrated that I might have maybe thrown a temper tantrum under my kitchen sink, complete with tools on pipes. Because that always works, right?

    http://www.amazon.com/Dare-Repair-Do-Herself-Anything/dp/B0002MKE84/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b

    Click that link. Buy that book. It will be a life saver. I promise!
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  11. electricity scares me :)
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  12. You can just shut that circuit of and then shouldn't have any problem. If you don't know which one just shut them all off.
    Thanks for visiting Grampys Place.
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  13. I am hopeless with that stuff too and it's all fine while I have my hubby around to do it. Hang in there, it can't be that hard and how awesomely woman will you feel when you get er done!
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  14. oh that's a bangs head on desk moment for sure! can you get one of those 1800rent a man kind ot things?
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  15. Oh, gees, don't beat yourself up for that one--I don't do electricity either. I can paint, maybe do the trim, but electricity??! Gees. Stupid realtor. It is all HER fault.
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  16. The fact that you even attempted to change a light is A++ in my books...I hired someone to hang my artwork, that is how bad I am at home renos and decision making...
    Good luck on the sale, it does suck I agree!!
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  17. The fact that you even attempted to change a light is A++ in my books...I hired someone to hang my artwork, that is how bad I am at home renos and decision making...
    Good luck on the sale, it does suck I agree!!
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  18. I have changed a few lights and outlets and switches...as long as the electricity is off i'm not scared...just make sure that the ground wire gets grounded and everything else is color combined...good luck with that!
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  19. Selling a house is stressful. Doing electrical work? Um, yikes. You're doing well to attempt it on top of everything else. It scares me.
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  20. You can do way more then I can...that's for sure. I wouldn't even have attempted to start it in the first place.
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  21. As a man I still turn the breaker off when I do any sort of electrical work so you will have to do it during the day if you go this route but at least you wont electricute yourself.
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C'mon, pull up a therapy couch and tell me all about it...

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