Mr. Fix It

I've never claimed to be a handyman. I can hammer a nail into a wall, but that's about it. Anything beyond that gets a little dicey, and I'd probably end up doing more harm than good.

Since I can't convince our house to stop falling apart, I've had to try my best to fix things I normally wouldn't feel comfortable touching. On top of that, there are two things that freak me out in home improvement projects. Electricity and water. Electricity because it's invisible and can kill you. Water because it's amazing how much property damage it can do.

Is there a name for home-repair-phobia? If so, I think I have it.

Still, I've had to face my fears, and I've even run up a nice little list of successful projects:

• Leaky pipe under the sink
• Faulty electrical outlet
• Measuring and installing blinds
• Wiring for high-speed Internet
• Furniture assembly
• Demolition (not nearly as fun as it sounds) - carpet and linoleum removal

Thanks to these semi-successful projects, I no longer get cold sweats when I walk into Home Depot or have nightmares about drill bits and screwdrivers.