Life on Florida’s West Coast

I Like to Do It Myself

I’m learning to become a much handier person around the house. I started learning back when I was still married and realized just how hopeless my husband was with small home repairs.

I remember once when he was putting on a shirt and as he reached his arms up, he clipped the ceiling fan and broke off two of the paddles. He went to the store to buy new paddles, thinking it would be a simple replacement. He never could get the thing balanced again and we ended up getting a whole new ceiling fan. It kind of seemed like a waste. Similar such “repairs” followed and they all ended up with us purchasing new items. Finally, he moved to calling a handyman when any little thing went wrong and my frugal side came out. I started learning how to take care of the house myself.

There is so much information out there on the net if you want to be part of the Do It Yourself (DIY) revolution. For example, DoitYourself.com is a free community with thousands of articles and active forums on a plethora of do-it-yourself home improvement projects. You can find info on anything from refinishing a desk to building a garage. Knowledge is power, baby. Learn and improve, that is my motto. The site even sells Do It Yourself DVD’s to give you an extra edge if you need it.

I’m going to be doing a small tile project, installing exterior shutters, and putting up faux wood blinds in the family room. Those are the projects I want to get out of the way so I can learn something more challenging, like replacing the faucets and sink in the bathroom.

Bulls Trample the Mountaineers

Tampa is a happy place right now. The USF Bills beat the WVU Mountaineers 21-13 tonight. I did not see this one coming. WVU is (was) 5th ranked and USF only at 18. I assume things will change in a very big way the next time the AP a new poll. I’m shocked, amazed. I’m also happy for USF.

WVU has been a good, respected team for a long time. They have gone to bowls. They have a massive following in their home state. Morale is high. The Bulls are a new team and have close to no national recognition. Tonight very well may have changed that.