Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Lawrence the Handyman


No, sadly, this is not Lawrence. In fact, my handyman is more likely the supreme antithesis of Carter Oosterhouse.(Perhaps you've never watched HGTV's Carter Can. Ladies, do yourself a favor one Thursday night. You'll probably think of a number of things Carter could.)

No cover model, but Lawrence is a good guy. Late 60s, semi-retired. (That's why I need to call him and get on his schedule. You never know when he's going to be working. Plus, he dabbles in real estate. He's a busy guy!) He's dependable, resourceful, and affordable. He's a little guy, but mighty. And unless I force it on him, he isn't one for lunch breaks. The one thing I had to get past is his voice. He sounds just like Mr. Mackey on South Park. But after working with him on several different occasions, I'm over it.

During the past year, I've been on-site to help him with a variety of projects including:
*Running electric into the carport (We have an outside outlet! Ah, the things others take for granted.)
*Installing a ceiling fan in the carport
*Putting up vinyl scallops in the eaves of the house (Less house to paint -- ALWAYS GOOD!)
*Building a closet in the downstairs family room
*Hooking up a gas log in the downstairs family room fireplace
*Repairing the leaky kitchen sink faucet (twice now)

I wasn't a part of a few Lawrence projects which involved new light fixtures and the installation of a new kitchen overhead vent fan/light. We were going to rebuild the storage shed last year, but house-painting took us down to the wire weather-wise. This year, the shed and replacing the back fence (going from wood to vinyl -- FINALLY!)are on the roster.(Waiting for the fence to go on sale OR the "tax-free" days that Illinois is supposedly going to offer next month when the rebate checks go out.) I may also have Lawrence help me rip out the concrete walkway in prep for the brickwork.

In recent months, some of my mom's friends and one of our neighbors have wanted to know how to reach Lawrence.

Sounds like he's going to be an even busier guy.

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