Do It Yourself

Eric had many talents, but when it came to repairs around the house, his main skill was knowing who to call. There were several occasions when we were at Gail and Eric's house, and something minor needed attention. I would offer to fix the problem, but Eric would always say he would call someone in the morning to come and fix it - even if it was a loose screw. I would ask if he had a screw driver, as I knew it would take 10 to 15 seconds to re-seat the screw, and he would start opening drawers, and eventually would find some antique tools that apparently were found when the house on Helen Avenue was built..... I gave him a small rechargeable Black and Decker electric screwdriver for Christmas one year (as a gag gift), and it apparently went straight into a drawer in the kitchen. A few years later, I noticed something that would be easy to fix, and asked if he had a screw driver. After looking through some doors, he proudly handed me the electric screw driver we had given him several years ago - still in the plastic "blister" pack. He may not have been handy, but he had an impressive rolodex of people to call when there were repairs to be done.