The Importance of being Mr. Fix-It.

[Niffer]

Do you think its important a man be handy? Or at least one spouse be handy?

Men - do you feel that its part of being "the man" to be able to put together a bookcase or change the oil?

Women - Is that important to you, that your husband can do that? A moot point? Or a perk?

I am blessed to have a handy husband.
He can put anything together or take it apart. I've seen him be a carpenter, a plumber and a mechanic.

I remember that being an important point when we were dating - just like men love a 'woman who can cook' I loved a man that could fix!

- Niff

 

[Luther073082]

Do you define putting together a bookcase or changing the oil as being handy??

Because I can do both of those things but I don't consider myself to be handy. Those things are fairly simple.

Perhaps my understanding of what it means to be handy is skewed because my dad can fix pretty much anything, your car, your furnice, your AC, your plumbing, your computer. . . almost anything you have, my dad can fix it. Plus he can build and do all aspects of residential construction. IMO my dad is handy.

I'm not that handy. I can put together a bookcase and change the oil. That is simple stuff though.

I'd like to be able to do more mostly because it will save a lot of money to do it yourself.

 

[Robinsegg]

I am also blessed with a handy hubby. However, I don't look down on guys that are not.

Also, men have a tendency toward wanting to logically figure things out to find a solution to problems (according to Men Are From Mars books). That is also, imo, being a "Mr. Fix-it".

Rachel

 

[lucypevensie]

I love that my DH is handy. The only thing we've ever consulted a professional for is the roto-rooter man, and that was only because we didn't have a long enough pipe snake.

If he doesn't know how to do something he'll read up and learn how. Saves us lots of money though it might take more time.

That said, I don't look down on men and women who aren't handy or don't mind paying someone to do the job for them. There are times that I wish we would just pay the money and be done with it.

 

[Lena75]

I have a very handy dandy notebook! (too much Blue's clues ) I mean, a handy hubby! This house was a MESS when we bought it 12 years ago. They weren't joking when they said it need a Handy Man. Well, hubby had his handiness put to the test along with several other helpful family members. My dad's a real good handy man too.

In the years we've lived here, hubby's had to replace windows, doors, toilets, taps on sinks....etc....he and I fixed the furnace last year together. Cost us $20 when it should've cost around $200 from a "pro". Hey, the guy never showed!

Me, I oil noisy hinges, tighten loose screws on cupboards and small things like that. I've put together bookcases too. Things I do NOT attempt to fix are vehicles and major appliances. I leave that up to hubby and if he can't fix it, he gets people who can.

 

[dallasapple]

My husband isnt as handy as some of ya'll are saying..But he is much handier than me..He for instance installed a new dishwasher recently..(I wouldnt have even attempted that )...he also is a computer expert(litterally thats how we make a living) so never have to be concerned about that..some stuff on cars like he replaced a back tail light and cover..

He and my brother also repaired /replaced a large protion of out fence that was flattened in a 100mph wind storm..

So I consider him to be handy..

Love

Dallas

 

[Cute Tink]

I try to do everything around the house that I have tools to do. I fix my car, fix leaks, fix computers, etc. Occasionally I have to call in a friend for an opinion, but I rarely call in a pro.

I do think that it is part of being a man to be able to fix most little things, but that doesn't mean that I think a woman is not capable.

My wife does lots of little things - like patching holes in the wall, unclogging drains, etc. but she doesn't like pushing too far on her own.

 

[Mrs. Luther073082]

I think it is a nice bonus but not that important. Being able to kill spiders is much more important!

 

[dallasapple]

I think it is a nice bonus but not that important. Being able to kill spiders is much more important!

Thats one thing I dont need my husband for..I mostly leave spiders alone or I will catch them and throw them outside..

BUT ...I totally rely on my husband to go out in the back and pick up the mutilated guts and bones of dead baby rabbits and birds and mice and stuff my cats kill..like it will be a just the head and maybe some intestines and one foot..of a rabbitt ...I feel bad because he gags..too..but if I did it I could be sick all day and that image will roll around in my head for a day or two...

I can handle picking up poop(when we had big dogs..Rotties)but torn up bodies of little rabbits and birds ...no..

In fact If he wasnt here? I would just leave them there to bio degrade rather than pick them up..Maybe after they "dried up" I could handle it..But not 'fresh meat"..

Love

Dallas

 

[Mrs. Luther073082]

I'm pretty sure if we had a cat, picking up body pieces of things they killed would be my job. And I already know picking up poop is my job! We go to the vet clinic and guess who gets to obtain the stool sample to take to them?

 

[blythe_ann]

My husband is handy and an engineer, so much like Tim the Tool man, if something traditional doesn't work the way he wants, he is always designing and altering to make things better. Unlike the Toolman, I've never had anything explode or attack me in my house!
I didn't care too much if my husband was going to be handy or not, but I appreciate not always having to hire someone to care for things that fall apart... it keeps expenses down. And I'm always sure to tell him how awesome he is that he can fix the air-conditioning or whatever goes wrong that week.

 

[dallasapple]

I'm pretty sure if we had a cat, picking up body pieces of things they killed would be my job. And I already know picking up poop is my job! We go to the vet clinic and guess who gets to obtain the stool sample to take to them?

Yeah..I was always the dog groomer and we both picked up the poop..with two Rotties going in the yard and a little Yorkie going in the house (of course) and 3 cats (at one point ) all at once there was plenty to go around..LOL!!!!

I dont know I just cant handle looking at the mutilation(and feeling it in my hand even through a plastic bag)..even if they are whole (or even close) thats not a big deal..

One time my cat jumped up on my bed and proceeded to vomit up what was apparently partirally digested dead animal..what appered to be bones and fur and "stuff"...the stench was absolutley unbelievable..within a few minutes the odor had already traveled into other parts of the house..

I had NO choice but to clean that up..I was dry heaving the entire time and then for 20 mintues after I had it cleaned up and the sheets in the washer....my stoch was sore from the dry heaving..

It was several hours later and when he got home he asked 'whats that smell"..thats how bad it was ....

YUK!!!!!!!!!!

Love

Dallas

 

[Mrs. Luther073082]

Pull shirt over nose. Keep latex gloves handy. It helps.

 

[dallasapple]

Pull shirt over nose. Keep latex gloves handy. It helps.

Im telling you..this would have permiated through my shirt in 10 seconds..and on top of the fact the 'visuals" were disturbing..there was nothing I could do but gag and go as fast as I could..YUK!!!!

Love

Dallas

 

[moonkitty]

I think it is a nice bonus but not that important. Being able to kill spiders is much more important!

I agree with Melissa here. It's nice when my hubby can fix something, but not important.

 

[Luther073082]

Melissa. . . FYI, we are never getting an outside cat. Cause I am not going to clean up dead animal guts.

 

[Lena75]

Just the other day we caught a mouse in a trap. One ear was completely covered in blood! I wasn't gonna touch it, so hubby had to throw it out. My 12 yr old can handle cleaning up mice. We found another one and we thought it was dead. It looked dead to me! Son got the dustpan, scooped it up and went to go throw it into the field when it got up and ran off! Now that totally freaked him out!

 

[BigDaddy4]

Thats one thing I dont need my husband for..I mostly leave spiders alone or I will catch them and throw them outside..

BUT ...I totally rely on my husband to go out in the back and pick up the mutilated guts and bones of dead baby rabbits and birds and mice and stuff my cats kill..like it will be a just the head and maybe some intestines and one foot..of a rabbitt ...I feel bad because he gags..too..but if I did it I could be sick all day and that image will roll around in my head for a day or two...

I can handle picking up poop(when we had big dogs..Rotties)but torn up bodies of little rabbits and birds ...no..

In fact If he wasnt here? I would just leave them there to bio degrade rather than pick them up..Maybe after they "dried up" I could handle it..But not 'fresh meat"..

Love

Dallas

EEEWWWW!!! I was eating my lunch when I read this...

 

[jham123]

Being able to fix things is a curse at times.

I fix everything in the house, seldom do we have anyone here for repairs nor do the cars go to the shop for repairs.

Yes, I have had to take the toilet off the mounts more times that any man should have to in order to retrieve "X" item that little toddler threw down there during experimentation......I just wonder how many thing "things" didn't get stuck and actually flushed.......I think retrieving a can of "secret" deodorant was the kicker on that one. How it made it so far down is a mystery and the only way to find out what was down there was to pull the toilet up and look up in there.

And yes, I had the transmissions and Motors of several cars out for a rebuild right here in my garage. Showed the boys how a lot of things are put together. My 18 yo and 14 yo can do brakes on cars from watching me.

I also fix the neighbors "light" repairs.......I noticed that one neighbor had a leaky outside spigot. Come to find out it was totally blown out an that they would turn the water off at the meter when they weren't showering. A plumber would have charged a lot to fix that......I fixed for her and only spent $10 on a new spigot. I had to sweat out the old one and then resolder the new in place......I felt bad for allowing it be broken for almost 4 days before asking her what was going on......it only took me an hour to fix it all up for them.

Sometimes after spending and entire weekend on the big projects and being totally exhausted on Monday morning.....I wish I would just be lazy and pay someone and save my back.......

That is when being a handy man is a curse.

 

[Cute Tink]

I totally get where you are coming from. I can't stand the thought of hiring someone to do what I know I can do, but at the same time, I wonder how much easier it would be to hire someone to fix the problem for me.