Especially when they can fix things…
he really loves to fix things…
Both Dinah Shore and Eartha Kitt sang this song back in the day, but it sure says what I’m feeling this week. And no I don’t have a man living in my house. And I didn’t all the sudden find the man of my dreams(does one such man even exist) What I have found is something better… A good honest man who can fix things and doesn’t charge me an arm and a leg to do so.
I bought my little old 1890’s built house 9 years ago. It is a double house, not a duplex but a house that had another full house attached to the back of the parent house. I wanted a house where I could have my own place and my son and his family could have theirs. We decided to do this together and I would charge them less rent because my son would do all the work on the house and also take care of the yard work and snow removal. He took care of everything from electrical problems to plumbing and everything in between…and I mean everything. There wasn’t anything he couldn’t fix. It worked out great for us all. If I ever had a problem I told him and it was taken care of. And I was there to help out with the grandkids.
This situation worked great for all of us until my son’s death in July of last year. I was grieving the loss of my son but also I was constantly stressing and worrying about how I was going to take care of this big old house that always, always needed something fixed. As I have mentioned before, I have awesome friends and one of them gave me the name of a man she said was a wonderful handyman should I ever need one. So many things had been happening over the past few months that I put off calling him. I have had a few leaks in the ceiling and lately they had gotten to the point where I couldn’t ignore them anymore. So I finally picked up the phone and called him last week.
His name is Calvin. We talked for a bit and he mentioned my friend had told him about me and that I might be calling him. He told me he would stop by the next day to go over what I needed done. When he arrived he wasn’t what I had expected from our conversation but then no one ever is. I always have a picture in my mind of people and somehow they never turn out looking like what I expect them to look like. Back to Calvin. I showed him around the house and told him all the things I wanted done eventually but what I needed now and what was at the top of my list was the roof fixed and to stop the constant water coming in whenever it rained. He said no problem and would be back the next day to take care of it. Just like that.
Calvin worked 2 days fixing all the leaks and was up on the roof yesterday in gale force winds trying to get everything done so we wouldn’t have to worry about any more water coming in. He found so many spots that needed repair and places that I didn’t even know were leaking. I kept going out to see if he was ok and that he hadn’t blown off the roof. Seriously… I thought he might. When he finally finished up and had loaded up the ladders and his tools he came in to present me with his bill. I was a little concerned because he did buy quite a few supplies and also worked 2 long days. I almost fell over with relief when I looked down at the amount. I won’t go into details here but lets just say I was very very happy with Calvin.
When I told my friend I had called him and how happy I was to have him she said…”Everyone should have a Calvin.” And she is so right. All of this talk about how much I liked Calvin made me think of Brooke Shields and her Calvin Klein ads back in 1980…so to do a little play on her words…”nothing’s going to come between me and my Calvin.” My whole point is this…. we all need a Calvin. An honest man that fixes things that we can trust. Now, I can fix a broken toilet, put a new faucet on, etc, I have many times. I once lived with a man who couldn’t fix a single solitary thing… so I did. But this house is overwhelming and as I’ve said.. old. It needs a lot of fixin. I am not sure if I will continue to live here or not. There are a lot of happy memories here but then some not so good. But they say not to make a big decision until at least a year after the loved one passes so I am not rushing into anything. We will see how it goes..but in the meantime I have my Calvin.
Do you have a “Calvin” in your life? I hope so.
“Every job is good if you do your best and work hard. A man who works hard stinks only to the ones that have nothing to do but smell.” ~ Laura Ingalls Wilder I loved this….
Oh by the way, here is a picture of Calvin..
Calvin…LOL..just kiddin, it’s Brad in Thelma and Louise.
Although I am a man, I am not a Calvin. I have great respect for these guys who have not met a problem that they cannot fix. Indeed I have broken my share of things in my lifetime and a Calvin would have to rescue me. I do have a wife who is just wonderful around the house. Waited all my life for a woman as talented as she. So, I must say that I am blessed to have my Peg.
Well Andy, not every man can be a “Calvin”…
Luckily I rent so I just call the landlord if something needs fixing!
Good for you….Maybe I should consider that..
I enjoy your posts Renee, keep up the great writing and great spirit
Thank you Bev!
Dave fixed things I broke from day one…That, plus many other qualities (kind, empathetic, compassionate,loved dogs, wanted a family, smart, adventurous, progressive, always learning, embracing new things) is why I married him…He would say, if I wanted something done, write it down and leave it on his wallet, and reliably it was done…He built both of our houses, I did help a lot with the first house, but that was pre kids..the second house, we had toddlers and he had to have them off the work sight for safety…Now my son in law helps and I have hired a yard guy. There are some projects that need done, but am putting off for a while. And I do simple chores he did weekly. Your Calvin sounds like a real gem, even if he doesn’t look like Brad Pitt…I always appreciated how handy my Dave was. over the years, he saved us lots of money with his ingenuity and work ethic. Friends couldn’t believe my “Superman” got ill and left us so quickly. They thought he was indestructible. He never stopped working. Mowed the grass on a Monday, whipping his kubota around the property, Wednesday sent to the hospital after an MRI…after 9 days, came home for 9 days and he was gone…a huge loss, but he had done his job well and things are for the most part working…(although I do have a few leaks in my roof)
Yes, Marg it is hard enough to lose someone we love so much and also to have that person be the one you relied on to fix everything. And you are right Calvin doesn’t look like Brad, but that’s ok. Hugs to you Marg!
I have a husband, 2 grown boys, and a Calvin for every kind of issue as the men who live here are better at breaking than fixing. {{sigh}}.
Well so glad you have a Calvin, Karen.. but too bad your husband or one of the boys can’t fix stuff…and agree some are better at breaking then fixing…had one of those…
I don’t have a Calvin. My husband is a good stand-in although he doesn’t own a cowboy hat.
LoL Alana! Unfortunately my real Calvin doesn’t have one either…but maybe you could get one for your husband…
Ummm . . . would he come up to Edmonton?
I don’t know but I could ask…LOL…but then again, I need him, I have too much for him to do already..sorry Diane!
So Happy to hear that you have found a Calvin!! I do have my man around the house, but unfortunately, if my house does not need a crown or a new set of dentures, he is of little help. Oh he can handle little jobs OK but anything too major, and I have to make a call to MY Calvin!!! So happy that I was referred to him and he is just as wonderful as your Calvin sounds!!! Loving your blogs, Hellion, but just don’t always comment!!! Keep up the good work, I really enjoy your work!!!
Thank you Georgia! And thanks of reading and loving my blog. I really appreciate it!
I couldn’t agree more, Renee! Calvin sounds wonderful. I have a Calvin and his name is Eddie!
Good for you Nancy! Aren’t we lucky to have them?
So glad you found your Calvin! There’s such peace of mind in knowing you have someone to rely on for tasks like these. It’s hard to find someone who’ll take on the “little” jobs; fortunately, Hubs can handle a lot of these kinds of things (and I have a VERY handy brother-in-law who visits once a year, so we stockpile some jobs for him!).
Thank you Roxanne, and yes it does put my heart and mind at ease. I don’t have a husband and with my son gone it was really getting to me.
Ha! My husband is one that doesn’t fix to many things. He can tackle some jobs, but others like painting not on your life! I’m the Calvin in this relationship, but he does other things so I think I’ll keep him.
Good for you Rena for being the Calvin…go you! I can fix a lot of things, but not the roof…
Some one who fixes and is honest and reasonable is a find! Glad you found Calvin! I am lucky my husband is handy and he knows when he is out of his depth.
You are so right Haralee and I am blessed to have him..glad you have yours as well!
LOL! That picture at the end was priceless! Not what I was picturing either!
So glad you found Calvin. Love the name! I’d have been worried about him up on the roof out in that wind too!! Your friend really blessed you with sending him your way. Your head and wallet can relax now in that department but don’t go buying shoes with the change!
I have a Calvin. His name is ‘The Dalemiester’ aka ‘Pool Boy’ and just this week I added ‘Business Manager Extordinaire’ due to him handling my car incident so smoothly. Now to pay him! We’ll stop there! Another interesting blog!
Thanks Joanie, you know what a strain this has been on me. So glad I have my Calvin and you have your Dalemiester!
Just read this. Makes me happy. I love my Calvin. E
He is awesome and thank you!