Recently Kay posted about the washing machine not working. Her husband, Art, did his research and was able to get the machine running again.
My late husband, Mike, was exactly like that. He could look at mechanical things and see how they were supposed to function, how something had gone wrong, and figure out how to fix it.
I, on the other hand, have generally very poor problem solving skills. My learning curve was quite steep after he died.
One day my dryer stopped working. It was about twelve years old. I thought it just was at the end of its life so I bought a new dryer. The delivery guys took out the old dryer, installed the new one, turned it on and nothing happened. They asked where the breaker box was and flipped the switch, tried the new dryer again and immediately blew the breaker. I had to get an electrician to come and install a new outlet.
The old dryer probably life left but it was gone by then.
A couple of years later I moved into the condo. One day I noticed that the nightlight in bathroom was out so I made a note to get a new bulb for it. Then my hair dryer didn't work. Why is everything falling apart? Then I got a grip and checked the breakers. They seemed fine put I pushed them all to the left. Nothing happened in the bathroom but apparently I managed to flip the refrigerator breaker off.
When I noticed that the refrigerator was not working I had a panic attack. I called the electrical company the woman who sold to me had recommended. When I said the refrigerator wasn't working the dispatcher said he would send someone right away.
A lovely young man arrived. He flipped the refrigerator breaker back on but he didn't see that the bath breaker had been tripped. He kind of went back and forth and then said, "Oh!" So he called me over to the breaker box and demonstrated that one had to move the switch all the way to the right and then back to the left. Just pushing it to the left doesn't do the trick.
He packed up his tools and said, I really hate to have to do this but I need to charge you for an emergency visit. Expensive lesson in how to reset a breaker switch.
I sound really stupid but I did learn to use Google and have actually completed a number of minor home repairs on my own. I do have a dread fear of electricity though.
Well, now I have Don to do the problem solving and I can go back to being a dumb blonde.
Oh, wait, my hair is gray now. Sometimes I feel I can't do anything right!
Thank you... you may have solved an electrical problem I am having. Your not dumb just info delayed. lol
ReplyDeleteFunny story! I myself don't like to brag, but I can change a lightbulb all by myself ... most of the time.
ReplyDeleteOh I so understand this!!
ReplyDeleteMy father could not fix a thing. My mother was a genius in home repairs. Dad called her Rosie for Rosie The Riveter. Sadly I did not inherit her skills but google does help me a lot.
ReplyDeleteFunny but not funny. Kind of been there before and am glad you have Don now to do the heavy thinking for you. I still need Google.
ReplyDeleteToo funny. I am the same way. What would I do without David?
ReplyDeleteI hear you. When I left my first husband, it was quite a time moving into my own home. My current husband is pretty useless, but doesn't mind paying people to fix stuff!
ReplyDeleteLearning the hard way can be expensive. I had been exposed to some mechanical things as I was growing up. Mom's second husband thought everyone who drove a car should know how it worked. I absorbed a little but not a lot. My husband wasn't mechanically inclined. Since in his avocation he was a professional musician he said, "I'd rather play a dance job and hire someone to do it." We learned some stuff together by necessity so I've moved fairly easily into widowhood having to address issues on my own.
ReplyDeleteI love Dolly Parton, she's the smartest dumb blonde I know of.
ReplyDeleteGood on you for learning. I'm not sure when I learned to check breakers but it was a long time ago. Now plumbing, that's a different story.
Take care and stay well!
Oh my! Thank you for the mention, Olga. I know I haven't been by in a while. The time just slipped by. I write my blog posts often 2-3 weeks in advance. I've been dealing with the death of a cousin and illness of a friend. Another friend now tells me her family has been hit with COVID. Sheesh! 2021 has got to be better.
ReplyDeleteAs for being handy. Art is handy to be sure. Me? I would have bought another washer for sure. I'm dying to buy a new refrigerator, but Art insists it still has life in it. Arrrghhh!