Handymen

November 25, 2008

For those of you who have read Bernice's recent post lamenting the disappearance of the modern-day handyman and are waiting in suspense for a conclusion to Bernice's dilemma, let me update you. Although Bernice was racking her brain trying to find a handyman to call to fix our washer, she really needed to look no further than her handyman husband (and his father).

That's right, I fixed the washer all by myself (with my dad's help). I'm going to keep referring to my dad's participation in brackets because it makes me feel more like a grown-up. So anyways, we found out that our drain hose had broken in half because it broke before with the previous owners, but they just did some cheapo quick fix that lasted 3 months instead of replacing the hose like a real handyman (and his dad) would.

Replacing the drain hose of a washer is easier than you'd think. But unfortunately replacing the drain hose of a rusty, 20 year-old washer is much harder than you'd think. The back of the machine was rusted shut so we had to reach all the way in between all these rusty pipes and bars to unscrew the clamp that had also been rusted shut. There were only two holes at the back of the machine - an eye hole, which had to fit a flashlight as well, and an arm hole, which we had to reach in pretty much up to our armpits.

Despite a couple setbacks, like screwing the old clamp even tighter at first and leaving the new clamp on the hose when we were trying to put it on so it didn't fit around the attachment, we finished the job and our washer is now working perfectly, thanks to me (and my dad). I'm Bernice's knight in dirty overalls and work gloves.

OH I almost forgot! The whole time we were fixing the washer, Nathan was taking all the tools out of the toolbox and trying to use them on the wall, the washer, the doorframe, and himself. He was also trying to steal our flashlight, push us out of the way so he could see through the eye hole, and saw through my dad's arm with something that was thankfully not sharp. Children are such blessings.