Home improvement and maintenance

Most people who own a home have a wish list of things they would like to change or improve upon. Unfortunately things like time and money sometimes prevent us from acting upon that wish list. I spent 15 years planning a redo on the kitchen, and finally did it 2 years ago, and I could not be happier. I don't think there is a thing I would do differently, except to have done it 15 years earlier! Unfortunately that thing called money prevented that from happening.

I now wish we had written down our list of wants and prioritized them over the years, but each year we have done something, from new windows to siding, more storage, to a bigger deck. Each item makes our home nicer and more livable. Some things Clay has been able to do, while others need outside help.

In addition to wants, there are also needs. This week we had to replace the garage door opener, since it had gotten possessed and sometimes closed but often just went up and down. We also had a clogged drain that had to be unclogged. Everything we tried didn't work. Now that I am retired and have time to wait on businesses to call, and be here when they can come, plus meet with people to discuss options and get prices on things we want to do, we are starting to cross more things off the list. I am constantly amazed at how many people don't call you back. Does that mean they have more work than they can handle? Luckily I am persistent and keep working down my lists. And luckily I have the time to be persistent and have a flexible schedule, something not possible when I was working.

One other wish I have had for a long time is a new sidewalk. It took quite a few phone calls to get someone to come out but I finally got some prices, made the decision and set a date. It was supposed to be finished yesterday, but we got a bit behind and they should now finish and pour, hopefully on Monday.

I knew I had sprinkler heads that had to be moved out of the path of the sidewalk, and I figured lines would probably get broken during the set-up (which happened) since there is no rhyme or reason where my lines run. So in addition to concrete work, I also needed a sprinkler man. Once I had a plan for concrete, I called Collins Sprinkler repair.

I have to say how impressed I am with Matt Collins.

With my first call, he called me back, showed up when he said he would and told me he probably needed to come after they had dug everything up instead of moving lines in advance. He was right. But this meant he had to be somewhat on call when the concrete guys were here. This is a busy time of year for sprinkler folks, and the fact that he worked with our concrete schedule in is pretty amazing.

It meant a later working day for him. With situations like a sidewalk, one can't happen without the other. If they had poured concrete over a busted line we would not have had a sprinkler system.

Right now, I have a working sprinkler system and all lines are repaired. Two supply lines got broken, and only one head had to be moved. I hope I can still say that Monday afternoon when I have a new sidewalk. I can't wait to have another major wish checked off!

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